


Everything in Between

by Sapharen



Series: Mages in Space [3]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Dom/sub, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Makeup Sex, Oral Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2020-12-16 17:30:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21040031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapharen/pseuds/Sapharen
Summary: Continues immediately after the end of Too Close to Tell You, Chapter 42.





	1. Off to War Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13 pages in total... I couldn't find the break. It was all about war and stuff and... I'm sorry :(
> 
> Also, spoilers for new content and sorry but I hate the new xpac. Why bring Tenebrae back into it when war itself can be horrible and interesting? Let's throw it out and make something better.

On Odessan, Ander got that fateful call from Acina. They were thinking about packing everything up and moving back into the apartment, in Kass City, but didn't get the chance since their union. It was depressing to know that they wouldn't be able to share a honeymoon but Ander knew what he was signing up for when he signed his servitude away. He quickly went over to Malavai, showing him the message. The officer sighed and packed up his things into a duffle bag, he kept stowed under the bed. He put away his nonessentials, in a closet in the bathroom, and finally turned to their pet grophet, Grophl. Malavai picked up the pup and walked with him out of the room. Ander jumped into his power armor, grabbed his sabers, and followed Malavai.

Grophl whined, wondering why his fathers looked so sad. Malavai was hesitant in telling him the reason for their behavior and breathed a heavy sigh. He decided to wait until they arrived at their destination. They came up to Heig's room and Ander knocked on the door. Heig promptly answered but was slightly concerned to see the trio at his door so early in the morning. "Yes, Father?" Malavai quickly handed the pup to Heig, who took him into his arms. "We've been called to war. We have to go now." Heig frowned but nodded. "I understand." Ander looked to Grophl, who was tilting his head constantly. "Hey, boy." Ander addressed the pup. "Your daddies have to go somewhere for a long time. I can't say when we will be back but we will come back. We have a guardian angel looking over us this time, so you don't have to worry."

Grophl definitely understood that and began frantically whining and yelping. Malavai couldn't bear to listen to him any further and urged Ander to leave. Heig closed the door to his room, as they left, bringing the pup inside.

\------------------------

The Fury was found the way it was left. The security cameras in place, the storage compartment full of old gear, and the crew quarters decorated in an odd fashion. It had been roughly seven years since Malavai had stepped foot on that ship; it almost felt new again. He dropped his bag off next to Ander's door and entered the crew quarters. He didn't actually expect to sleep there but he couldn't shake the feeling that he missed this place. Malavai quickly found his bunk, as it was right next to the door. Kneeling down, he rubbed the fabric curtain between his fingers. It was soft to the touch but was strong enough to withstand years of abuse. The Empire insignias repeated across its two faces filled Malavai's heart with pride but left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. His loyalty would always be with the Empire but he'd be lying if he didn't hold a new respect for his nation's enemies.

Ander stepped into the doorway and looked down at his husband, curiously. "Hey, Malavai, the ship is ready to go…" He looked at the old curtain in Malavai's hand. "Are you thinking about taking your old spot again?" Ander asked. He sounded worried and upset. Malavai released the curtain and stood up, shaking his head. "No, my lord. I was just reminiscing. I'll unpack our things and then fly the ship to our destination." Malavai squeezed past his lord as he left the room. Ander glanced back at him, watching him leave but quickly noticed something off about the officer. Without a word, he walked up to him and grabbed the ends of his jacket, pulling it down to see it stop just below his belt. Malavai was surprised by the sudden shift and immediately spun around, meeting Ander's gaze. "My lord? What are you doing?" Ander didn't answer immediately, noticing the multi-colored badges on Malavai's breast. "This isn't the jacket I bought you…" Malavai sighed, nodding slowly. "I know, my lord. I can't wear the jacket you gave me, on-duty."

"Why not? You always did when I was working for Baras. Why not now?" Malavai frowned and brought his hands up to rest on Ander's face. "I'm sorry, my lord, but it's because it isn't the right rank… or branch." Ander looked lost, causing Malavai to explain further. "The jacket you bought for me is for Imperial Intelligence Keepers… Not the Imperial Navy." Ander went silent as his brain processed his mistake.

\----------------

_Ander hated how short Quinn's jacket was. Yes, it was nice to see how his pants hugged his figure but that also meant that everyone else saw it as well. He didn't realize just how protective and jealous he was until Vette had told Quinn how nice his ass looked. He burned with a fiery rage just thinking about it. He had to get him a new uniform, even if it took all his credits to do so. Ander browsed the Galactic Trade Network, hoping to find a good deal. He quickly landed on a post from a little-known smuggler. It was a jacket that looked similar to Quinn's current one but with more badges and a bigger collar. Surely that shouldn't be too big a deal as long as it was official. Ander messaged the smuggler, asking for proof of authenticity. A certificate was sent back to him, which he cross-referenced with R8's help. _**_Official_** **_Imperial Intelligence_** **_Regalia_**_ was printed at the top of the document. Good enough for him, Ander thought as he ordered the jacket and had it sent to the tailor for adjustments._

\----------------

Ander recoiled with shame and regret as he fell to his knees. "I just saw Official, Imperial, and Regalia and went for it. I missed the Intelligence part…" Malavai bent over and rubbed his lord's back. "It's alright, my lord. It doesn't mean I don't love it any less. You picked it out for me with great care and thought. I wasn't going to refuse a gift from you." Ander sniffed and looked up at his husband before glancing away. "I actually bought it because I was jealous." Malavai tilted his head curiously but jumped at the feeling of Ander's hands on his behind. Then it clicked and he blushed deeply. "M-My lord?" Ander wrapped his arms around Malavai's waist as he pulled him down onto the ground with him. "I don't want anybody else looking at your ass. Your mine, not theirs!" Malavai eventually stopped resisting and relaxed into Ander's lap. He smiled as his lord continued his jealous rant and decided to bend to his will.

"Alright." Ander went quiet as he looked at Malavai smiling back at him. His officer unpinned the badges on his jacket and proceeded to remove the article of clothing. Ander released him and watched intently as Malavai retrieved the jacket in question, from his bag. Switching out the badges, he put on his older, more used, jacket, patting the slightly wrinkled clothing flat against him. He presented himself to his lord, who happily stood up and hugged him. Malavai chuckled, patting Ander on the back and pulling away from him. "Well, now that we have wasted so much time, I will pilot the ship back to Vaiken Spacedock while you organize the wardrobe." Ander was left silently with three bags worth of clothing and one small closet to fit it all into.

\------------------------

Malavai landed the Fury in the designated docking bay. Ander met him at the door as they left the ship. They made their way to the main floor of the station and were quickly reminded why they loathed going there. The inner and outer rings were completely packed with people, which easily triggered Ander's anxiety but he repressed the feeling. He started walking with Malavai, who didn't look too bothered by the crowded space. "So, who are we meeting? Did she say?" Ander asked, slightly pulling Malavai closer to himself as they passed through a crowd. The officer checked his holopad, scrolling a moment before stopping. "Moff Pyron. Currently in charge of supplying troops to assist in the siege of Ossus." Ander hummed, nodding. "Pyron… Where have I heard that name before?"

"Moff Pyron's fleet is listed to be under Darth Nox's power base. It appears that your sisters' absence hasn't disrupted their reign."

"Of course not. Once Alessin gets her hands on something or someone powerful, she's hard-pressed to let it go. That's why you almost never see her without Aria." Malavai nodded but was surprised when Ander suddenly stopped walking. "You know, when they were eight years old, a bug was chasing Alessin around the house. It scared the ever-living shit out of her until Aria ran in and squished it under her shoe. She then told Alessin not to worry because she'd always be there to protect her." Malavai tried not to but Ander smiled when he heard the officer chuckle. "That did not happen, my lord."

"It did! It happened right in front of me too!" Malavai stifled his laughter and continued walking, once more, to the shuttle bay. Ander, of course, was right behind him.

They boarded the shuttle and flew from the space station to a nearby Imperial Dreadnaught. Malavai observed the ship from the window and noted a few unusual upgrades but said nothing. As they left the shuttle, they were greeted by a droid that led them to Moff Pyron's office. Ander and Malavai stepped into the rather small room and stood before the desk. The Moff stood and bowed before them. "Welcome, my lord. I hope you didn't have much trouble on the way here?"

"Of course not. It's nice to finally meet you, sir." Moff Pyron, like many before him, was taken aback by Ander's graceful kindness and was slow to respond. "Apologies, my lord. I don't talk to many Sith anymore and-"

"Sir, if I may speak out of turn." Malavai had to interject, as he was sure Ander would give the Moff the runaround. Pyron nodded, letting him continue. "My lord is the kindest, most considerate Sith you will ever meet. His Light Side alignment is often used to explain his behavior, however, this is just how he is and going forward, it would be best to abandon any previous expectations you may have for him." Pyron nodded and started again. "Then, my lord, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance too. Darth Nox has already informed me of your relation to her. However, there are other things we need to discuss. If you are ready, my lord?" Ander nodded and Pyron continued. "Empress Acina has charged Darth Melora with the siege of a Jedi library and archive on Ossus. She has requested that I supply my best to her conquest. However, instead of taking a direct approach, Melora has been using precious time and resources to build a biochemical army. She hopes this will take the Republic by surprise but in the meantime, it has been killing my men." Malavai flinched at the sound of Melora's plan and Ander didn't like it much either. Ander shook his head, sighing. "So… You and Acina want me to go down and put a stop to it." Pyron shook his head. "Acina wants the archive. I want to ensure my men's safety. If you have to overthrow Melora and take over the operation, so be it, but do so that it works in both our favors." Ander nodded. Pyron thanked them and ushered them out.

Ander and Malavai returned to the Fury, readying it for takeoff. Malavai activated the auto-pilot before turning to Ander. "How do you want to proceed with this, my lord?" Ander hummed and slowly shook his head. "I don't know. I'm going to wait until we see what's really going on down there." Malavai grimaced but said nothing as he turned back to the ship's console. "You better go take a rest, my lord. It will take us four hours to get there."

"I'll be fine. I'm going to converse with Tenebrae and meditate a bit. Let me know when we get there."

"Of course, my lord."

_ He's angry with you. _ Tenebrae said, walking around Ander as he meditated in the captain's seat. _ I know, but I can't just rush in and fight her for control. _ Tenebrae rolled his eyes. _ Why not? You have me. _

_ Are you willing to protect me, Malavai, and every other soldier in the room as electricity cracks across the room? _ Tenebrae groaned and frowned. His power was immeasurable but even he couldn't do the impossible. Sure, if everyone was grouped up in a small area, he could, but the soldiers would be easily killed in a matter of seconds. The spirit huffed and floated over to Malavai, inspecting him. _ Don't. _ Tenebrae looked back at Ander and scowled. _ I wasn't going to touch him. I was just looking. _ He protested but backed off anyway. Ander smiled slightly but a dangerous thought crossed his mind and he opened his eyes.

"Malavai? Did you bring your visor?" The officer didn't turn to him as he grabbed the blacked-out spectacles on his belt and presented it to his lord. Ander relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. "Is that all you needed, my lord? Did Tenebrae suggest anything?" Malavai didn't sound too pleased as his voice was dripping with malice. Ander frowned and shook his head. "He suggested I took Melora head-on…" Malavai turned back to Ander, finally, and looked up at his worried expression. "But?" Ander clenched his fists and continued. "But it's too risky. Pyron's men are likely to greet us at the landing pad. If I fight Melora, you and everyone else there will get caught in the crossfire. I can't risk that and if the base is as small as I think it will be, it doesn't matter where we fight because someone else will always get hurt. Not only that but if we fight outside the base, it will only draw attention to us." Malavai was stunned by the amount of thought Ander had put into the issue. Yes, he knew his lord cared about the lives of the military but he was sure… No, actually he wasn't sure of anything. Malavai was just bitter from hearing of Melora's careless regard for Imperial soldiers' lives, that he was beginning to warp back into his old biased thinking. He sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, my lord."

"For?" Ander looked quizzically at his husband's saddened expression. "I relapsed into my old ways and assumed you weren't thinking of helping our troops, I-" Ander frowned as Malavai hung his head and looked to the floor. "I apologize for my foolish thoughts."

"Malavai." The officer snapped up and looked at Ander, who was suddenly kneeling in front of him. Ander smiled and placed his hands on top of his husband's, making sure he could see both of their rings, side-by-side. "It's okay to doubt me sometimes. I've made some pretty bad mistakes in the past that have gotten people hurt, but you have to tell me if you think there's a better way…" Malavai frowned and pulled Ander's hands closer to his chest, holding them as his shame washed over him. "Do you remember when we went to Taris?" Malavai nodded but refused to look up. "When we stormed the Republic base? Pierce said he wanted to go all-in but you said-"

"He would die in seconds. The Republic's Gatling guns would have shred through his armor long before he even reached the gates." Malavai said as he looked up again, finding Ander's soft gaze and reassuring smile. "I offered to go in and draw their fire while Pierce and Jaesa went in another way but…"

"But I suggested we cut their power and destroy their munitions… Why is any of this important, my lord?" Ander chuckled softly and rubbed Malavai's hands. "What do you think I should do? There aren't just two solutions to this problem and I'm at a complete loss of what to do. You are my partner, my captain, and my other half. We are in this together. So, how do we proceed?" Malavai blushed deeply and nodded. "I think you were right the first time. We need to bide our time and develop a plan." Ander nodded and stood up but didn't let go of Malavai's hands. "No matter what happens, we will complete this mission together." He said, releasing his hold on his husband and returning to his seat, where he began his meditation anew.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

As expected, as soon as the Fury landed within the old Republic shell they were using as a base, Pyron's men were lined up to greet the pair. A Twi'lek in heavy armor approached Ander and saluted him. "Major Anri and Raven Squad at your service, sir." Ander nodded and smiled down at her. However, he sensed a rival Sith approaching and defensively put his arm up in front of Malavai, before instinctively grabbing his saber. "My lord, it's alright. I have my visor on." Ander lowered his arm but didn't relax as Melora stormed into the room. "What is the meaning of this!-" She yelled as she met Ander's gaze in a fit of rage, recognizing him instantly. "You! Have you come back to mock me?! Or are you planning on telling Acina how much of a lunatic I am?!" Ander tried not to show his panic but it quickly became apparent the more Melora yelled. Eventually, Tenebrae had enough.

A booming shockwave blasted out from Ander as the deceased Emperor took over. Malavai and Raven Squad were spared from harm but Melora was pushed backward. Surprisingly, she was quick to stand and glare at Ander but she was only met by piercing golden eyes. "You will hold your tongue, worm, as you stand before the Empire's Wrath. Whoever he was or whatever happened before, no longer applies and you _ will _ give him your respect. Do I make myself clear?" Melora gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. Tenebrae gave her a taste of the power that lay dormant within him, which he was not afraid to unleash onto her, before relinquishing control back to Ander. Ander huffed and fell to his knees, gasping to fill his lungs. _ That… You didn't have to do that. _ Ander received no answer, however, and did his best to stand again, with Malavai's help. "My lord?..." Malavai whispered as he held tightly onto Ander's torso. "It was Tenebrae." Malavai nodded and remained by his lord's side. Ander thanked him and looked back to Melora, who looked scared for her life. He sighed and frowned. "I only want to help!" He called out to her. "Fine! Just, stay away from me!" She said as she limped away. Ander felt terrible but didn't have a chance to think about it as Anri approached him again.

She smiled at him, her cautious demeanor had completely vanished as she pat Ander on the back. "Wow, I know Pyron told us to expect a powerful Sith but that was not at all what I expected." Ander looked at her quizzically. "You aren't afraid of me after witnessing that?" Anri shrugged her shoulders. "Why should I be? Haven't worked with many Sith besides Melora but most of them seem okay. Sure, Melora's not the brightest general but she's not an idiot. She's just really focused and passionate about getting her Genosect army up and running. But…"

"But?" Ander asked. "But the bugs are a problem. They can kill Jedi super fast, but they can also kill Imperial troops, Sith, and anything that moves too. They don't have a filter when it comes to killing things and I'm afraid they may have gotten to my best scout too." Ander and Malavai looked stunned to hear Anri's claim, which she appreciated. "Hey, if you guys want to help. I actually really need my scout back, or at least his info. If the Republic gets to it first, we are doomed." Ander nodded and stood tall, once more. Anri smiled widely and grabbed her gun off her back, running to the exit. "Great! Let's go. I'll lead the way."

"Um, you're coming with us?" Ander asked, catching up to Anri. She stopped and looked at the couple. "Yeah? I know this planet better than you and he's _ my _ scout, in ** _my_ ** charge." Ander was taken aback by her straightforward honesty. "Oh, well, usually people just give us a starting point and then expect us to figure it out." Anri looked at him with an unamused glare as she opened the door to the base. "No." Is all she said as she put on her goggles and stepped out into the blistering heat. "Now c'mon! Keep up!"

They traveled the insect-infested wastelands for a solid hour, fighting off any Genosect that crossed their path until they finally came to a remote hill with a strange symbol scratched into a stone. Ander knelt down beside it and inspected the symbol. He noticed a smaller, pointed rock off to the side and picked it up. "What is this?" Ander asked, turning back to Anri. "My scout made it. He said they all have easy to remember meanings."

"So, what's this one mean? It kind of looks like a… triangle?"

"Lord if I know. He gave me the cheat sheet for 'em a while back but I'm pretty sure I chucked it." Ander covered his face with his hand as he sighed loudly. Malavai was scanning the horizon for enemies but didn't hesitate to check to see if Ander was alright. When he saw him groaning from disappointment, rather than pain, he returned to his watch. Anri let out a proximity droid, letting it run a scan for lifeforms and the scout's equipment. It took less than a minute to conclude its scan and Anri put the droid up. "Nothin'. Let's go that way and see what we can find. I think I remember a shuttle goin' down around there. We could probably use it to boost the radius if it's still workin'." Anri said, making her way down the hill with Ander and Malavai soon to follow.

\------------------------

"So," Anri started, blasting off the head of a Genosect soldier. "I know you said you were the Empire's Wrath -_ in the third person _ -" Ander wanted to correct her but didn't get the chance as she continued. "But I heard the Wrath died. Are you really him?" Ander was struggling to form a response, as _ that _ news was completely foreign to him, but Malavai quickly stepped in to answer her question. "My lord is most certainly the Empire's Wrath. He was chosen by our former Emperor to not only carry out his will but also become his vessel. When my lord didn't seek him out, he sent the Eternal Fleet to siege Korriban and Tython."

"Yeah, I remember hearing about that."

"My lord joined Darth Marr, on his ship, to confront the Emperor but when the ship was destroyed, my lord was retrieved by Arcann," Malavai said, much to Ander's appreciation. Anri was surprised by Ander's resilience but her curiosity was sated. "Also, the Emperor's spirit is still tethered to me and he took control of me to yell at Melora. He's my friend and doesn't appreciate it when people are mean to me." Ander smiled as Tenebrae's voice came through his holoterminal. _ "Damn straight." _ Anri jumped at the static-filled, disembodied voice but relaxed when Malavai reassured her safety. "Well, then!" Anri laughed nervously, "The scan found somethin' and it's in that cave over yonder" Anri pointed to a cave just past the river next to their location. "Let's go!" Anri yelled as she ran down the trail. Malavai looked back to see Ander sulking. The Sith Lord looked up at him with a worried expression. "Do you think I- _ we _ scared her?" Ander asked as he motioned to the ghost that Malavai was, unfortunately, unable to see. Still, he had a pretty good idea as to what his lord was referring to. Malavai shook his head and smiled at his lord. "No, my lord. You did fine. I think she is just surprised by Tenebrae's sudden outburst. It's not too far fetched to say that Major Anri hasn't come in contact with many spectral entities, let alone hear them speak. You needn't worry, a bit." Ander was still unsure but was silently reminded by Tenebrae why he married the officer, in the first place. Ander looked up at Malavai again, watching his reassuring gaze and waiting eyes. A smile reappeared on his face as he returned to his husband's side. Taking hold of Malavai's hand, Ander eventually caught back up to Anri.

Inside the dark, damp cave, Anri yelled as she ran over to an injured, yet very much alive, soldier. "Major!" The young man smiled but quickly grabbed his side as he fell to the ground, using his gun as support. Anri ran over to him, offering her body as support. Malavai rushed to his side and unpacked his med-kit. "Hold still," He instructed the younger man as he injected his veins with kolto microbodies to begin the healing process. The scout screamed through his teeth as he tightened his grip on Major Anri's arm. She worryingly looked to Malavai. "Hey, uh, is it supposed to hurt this bad?" Malavai frowned and shook his head. "Normally, no. However, he's been out here a few days and his wound has become infected. It's burning away the afflicted flesh while sewing up his side." A wicked screech was heard from the cave's entrance and Ander pulled out his sabers. He glanced back to the soldiers behind him, before looking ahead, once more. "Malavai, "

"Yes, my lord?"

"Stay with Anri." Ander forced jumped forward and around the corner, out of sight. Malavai wanted to reach for him but the scout in his arms was becoming delirious. "What's your name, soldier?" Malavai quickly grabbed the strongest pain killer he had and plugged it into his injector. "S-Samson…"

"Samson. Do you know what year it is, son?" Malavai had to keep him talking so he wouldn't have to focus on the pain alone. "674...3?" _ Not exactly correct. _ Malavai thought to himself but he ignored the mistake and continued to ask Samson basic questions as he stuck him with the pain killers. The distant lightsaber slashes and insectoid screeches made Malavai anxious but the scraping of rock surprised him even more. He and Anri both instinctively pulled out their weapons and moved in front of the injured scout.

A crashing sound echoed out of the cave and caught Ander by surprise, causing him to forget his surroundings. A rogue Genosect soldier rushed him, tearing his armor with its claws and ripping the suit's electrical connections. Ander felt his left leg suddenly become limp and used the Force to leap backward. There was no way for him to safely fight the horde of insects with a dead leg. So, he pulled the cave entrance down, blocking it off. He jumped back to where Malavai was and saw him and Anri under attack. He didn't waste a second as he threw his sabers at the insectoid soldiers, beheading them. He carefully retracted his sabers, making sure not to hit his allies before moving onto the newly created entrance. He could hear the rest of the swarm making their way towards the hole. Using the Force, Ander lifted the boulder up and wedged it back into place. The group could hear the swarm banging against the rock but it didn't budge. Malavai looked back up to Ander, smiling, and ran up to him. However, as he approached, he noticed the stray sparks coming from Ander's suit. "My lord… What happened?" Ander shook his head and used much of his strength to rest against the cave wall. "I… When I heard the ceiling break open, I let my guard down. I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm not hurt, just immobilized." Malavai frowned but nodded. "I see. Well, Samson is doing fine now but he could use a good night's rest." Malavai said as he walked back over to the scout, helping him prop up against the wall. Anri nodded and checked the various crates that littered the cave. "Well, it's probably best we wait for the Genosect to lose interest. They will… eventually." Anri pulled a soldering iron out and smiled widely. She presented her find to Malavai, who gladly took it from her. "Thank you, Major."

"Not a problem, Major!" Anri snickered at their exchange and Malavai couldn't help but smile. Samson wearily looked up in his drugged confusion. "Wait… You guys are the same rank?" Anri smirked and gave the sleepy soldier a pat on the head. "Not quite, bud. I'm Infantry and he's-" Anri waited for Malavai to finish. "Navy."

"He gets to work on the big ships and even has a license to fly them! But you and I-" Anri grabbed Samson's head and pulled him close. "We get to fire the big guns, wear bigger armor, and stare our enemies in the face as we blow their brains to smithereens!" A muffled "yay" was heard from Samson as his face was squished against Anri's breastplate. She quickly released him and sat beside him, resting his head on her shoulder.

Ander smiled at their exchange and looked to watch Malavai work on his power armor. He was being extra careful with the live wires, making sure not to get electrocuted. "Hey, Malavai," Malavai dropped the wire he was holding and looked up at his lord. "We can turn off the suit if you want. It's right here, next to my neck." Ander craned his neck back so he could show the power button. Malavai saw it and reached up to press it. As he did, Ander smiled softly at him, signaling him with his eyes. Malavai returned his smile and turned to kiss him softly as he switched off the suit's power. Ander licked his lips as they parted, his eyes hungry for more but a hushed gasp pulled him back into reality. He looked back at Anri and Samson, though the latter was in and out of consciousness. Ander blushed slightly and Anri avoided eye contact. "Oh, um. Sorry…" Anri chuckled. "I was wondering why you didn't do it yourself and… well…" Ander blushed even more but nodded. "I actually wanted him to do it because it would leave me in an uncomfortable position." Malavai remained somewhat quiet, though an amused humming could be heard. In the past, he was so persistent to keep business and pleasure separate but as Ander wormed his way into his heart, the lines began to blur. "So…?" Anri started but didn't continue, unsure if she should. Malavai appreciated her caution, as the nature of the conversation required some, normally. "We are married. My lord and I. We apologize for any disturbance our flirting may have caused."

"Oh! No… It's fine." Anri said, blushing as she turned away from them again. Malavai smiled as he finished rewiring his lord's power armor. He turned the power back on and instructed Ander to move the once disabled leg. Ander moved the leg slightly and gave Malavai a thumbs up. Satisfied, Malavai sat beside his lord but was quickly uprooted and placed upon Ander's lap. Malavai smiled up at his lord and rested his head against his chest armor as Ander gently held onto him. The group soon fell asleep, hoping the morning sun would bring a quiet morning and a chance to escape.

Ander shoved the buried entrance with all his might, before finally feeling a shift in weight. Ander stumbled forward but luckily caught himself as the path cleared before him. He smiled and turned back to Malavai, who was helping Samson out. Anri smiled as she made her way up to Ander. "Thanks for the help, sir!" She saluted Ander and shook his hand. "No problem. Need anything else?" She nodded and handed him a wireless receiver. "My scout found an undocumented Imperial supply drop was to be dropped in the heart of Republic territory. It's in their farms just down the way. Go up those steps and follow the path to the left, you can't miss it." Ander nodded. "Find the dropped cargo and plant that receiver on it. We'll come get it and you in about ten minutes. I'm going to stay here with my scout and wait for the evac." Ander nodded and shouted for Malavai to join him. He wasted no time in rejoining his lord's side but looked warily at his fix-up job on his lord's side. Ander sensed his partner's uneasiness. "It's fine for now. We can get it fixed properly back at base." Malavai frowned but nodded. Ander smiled and continued down the path.

\-------------------

A stealthed Jedi squad appeared from the shadows as Ander finished attaching the receiver. They lunged forward and grabbed Malavai, restraining him and using him as obvious bait. Ander lowered his gaze and raised his sabers. The lead Jedi, a master as indicated by his outfit, stepped forward. "Really? The ex-Alliance Commander has stopped his pursuit of peace and chosen to once again fall in line with the Empire!? Why now?" Ander didn't respond but silently watched Malavai. The Jedi Master grew impatient and shouted at him. "Fine! It's obvious we have no choice but to kill your companion!" However, the sound of blaster fire followed by the sound of his men falling to the ground, caused him to turn around. The Jedi Master looked at the now free Major and felt his skin crawl as the bright white light of Ander's sabers blinded his peripheral vision. Ander pulled them up to either side of his neck, crossing them like an ex. He said nothing as he thrust them apart, scissoring the Jedi's head right off of his shoulders. Malavai flinched slightly and was quickly pulled into Ander's embrace. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't apologize, my lord. It had to be done." Ander nodded and waited with Malavai for the evac.

\---------------------

As they were airlifted back to the base, Ander motioned towards Malavai's visor. The Major obliged his lord's caution and equipped the visor long before they even arrived. Once they entered the base, however, Malavai noticed something different about Raven Squad's background chit chat. From the bits and pieces, he heard, Malavai deduced that Anri had been more than forthcoming about what was discussed with her. Malavai rubbed his temple as he frowned. He knew he shouldn't have told her. Ander noticed the change in atmosphere too but was more concerned with how Malavai was doing. "Malavai…"

"Not now, my lord. I'm too distressed by how inconsiderate the Major has been." Ander frowned and reached for the hand on his husband’s head. Malavai looked at him quizzically when he realized that Ander wasn’t the least bit bothered by their current situation. At that time, several armed guards had passed by them and congratulated them on coming so far with their relationship. Ander thanked them but didn’t pay them any further mind. “My lord…?” Malavai began to ask. “I thought you of all people would be tragically upset by this.” Ander shrugged but smiled down at him. “Sure, if everyone thinks I’m weird or an idiot but… When they’re discussing how much I love you? It’s not a problem.” Malavai was surprised by his answer but soon found himself to also share his lord’s view. It’s not as though Major Anri had said anything wrong about their relationship. In fact, it seemed as though the majority of Raven Squad was pleasantly surprised that the Empire’s Wrath was in an intimate and loving relationship with an officer. Malavai made a feeble attempt to compose himself, clearing his voice and grooming his hair back into place once more. “I see, my lord…” Malavai paused, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I love you too.” He blushed brightly but was surprised when Ander grabbed his face with his hands, letting the cold metal of his gloves cool his face and disperse the heat from his cheeks. Ander smiled at him but was soon pulled away by Major Anri, who was motioning him towards her in the background. Malavai turned to meet her gaze, as well. They walked over to her, greeting her before noticing the supply drop they had procured.

“Major, please tell me you recognize this mark of approval.” She asked, pointing to a stamped image on the side of the large metallic object. Malavai didn’t need to look at it closely, as it had Acina’s name printed across it. “Empress Acina’s Mark of Approval… but why would she have it dropped in the middle of Republic territory? Surely she knows the exact location of this base?” Anri nodded but Ander received a sinking feeling from the object. It looked different than any normal supply drop. If it contained food, weapons, or medicine it would be a normal crate… Not this… _ Tenebrae, wake up. Now. _ Tenebrae yawned, his spirit rising to float above Ander’s right shoulder. _ What’s up? _ Tenebrae looked down at the supply drop and was stunned. _ Uhm… There’s a body in there. _ Ander flinched and pulled Anri and Malavai away from it, backing up far enough to take out his sabers without touching the box. “My lord?”

“Uh, sir?” Malavai and Anri commented respectfully. “Dead or alive?” Ander asked aloud, there was no point in hiding his conversation any longer. _ “Alive… Sith… Stasis…” _Tenebrae said through Ander’s holoterminal. Malavai drew his pistol but Ander signaled him to hang back. Malavai was hesitant but instructed Anri and the surrounding soldiers to do the same. “Everyone! Get behind cover!”

They waited while Ander and Tenebrae inspected the box’s control panel, however, without warning, the panel lit up and the cover began to open. Ander readied his sabers and Tenebrae exerted his aura. Frozen mist wafted into the open room and it wasn’t long before a caped Sith emerged from the capsule. Ander was stunned to look upon the old Sith, once again. “You…” Ander whispered as an old legend stepped out in front of him. His mouth was covered by an old model breather, one that would echo each breath and add a metallic effect to the voice spoken through it. His armor was black, it looked dull in comparison to many of his comrades where his was not covered head to toe in spikes. Although his armor gave off a sense of darkness, his skin looked almost to be bleached, as his piercing red eyes stood out amongst his skin. This man, this _ Sith _ , was once the most ruthless of his time. **Darth Malgus**.

“Malgus… but how? You died on Ilum.” Ander was so confused. The story he had heard from Cytharat had been of a small group of Imperial Intelligence agents infiltrating the Ilum fortress to plant explosives in hopes to catch him in a fiery explosion. It was deemed a success from the wreckage crew. Nothing was left. “No. I did not. If there was ever anything wrong with our Empire, is that the idea of solving our problems with violence is the ultimate solution.” Malgus said, walking out into the room. He scanned the room silently, before turning back to Ander. “You told them to hide, odd…”

“I didn’t know if you were going to be hostile or not…” Malgus went silent again and shook his head. “I am not. I will be taking over the operation from Melora. We will be sieging the Jedi Archive over the next coming days. Acina has also requested your presence at the capital.” Malgus looked more closely at Ander and saw the spirit of Tenebrae materialize next to him. Malgus did not flinch, nor did he seem to react to the ghost. _ I know you can see me. _ Tenebrae whispered. _ So it is. _ Malgus replied and turned away from them. “Raven Squad!” He barked, the crew of soldiers jumping up from their hiding spots and saluting the Sith. “Get ready to move out! We are taking the fight to the Republic!” Ander looked amongst the room and noticed the increase of fear and stress the soldiers felt. He frowned and yelled for Malgus’s attention. The old warrior turned to him once more. “Listen here, Malgus. You will not unnecessarily endanger these soldiers. You **will** bring these soldiers back alive or I will be back. Am I understood?” Malgus nodded and bowed before him, taking his leave. Malavai finally stood up from his cover and made his way over to Ander. “Malavai, get the ship ready to leave. I have one more thing to attend to.”

“Understood, my lord.” Malavai bowed and left the room.

Ander followed the residue trail of a _ very _pissed off Melora to a closed-off, isolated experimentation room. He walked in to see her gathering up all her research into a crate. Quietly, he walked up to her but stopped just a couple feet behind her. "Melora?" Ander asked, watching as she made no motion to attack him. "I knew you'd be trouble. You always were…" She trailed off, her voice filled to the brim with bitter hatred. Ander sighed, frowning as he looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry about what happened on Korriban. I was young and stupid. I didn't do it to get you in trouble…" Melora spat and hurried back to putting her stuff away. "I don't think you're an idiot… or crazy." She paused for a moment, turning to look at Ander, who in turn looked at her. "From what Major Anri told me, you're brilliant and passionate about your research-"

"Hmph…" Melora scoffed, looking down at the half-filled crate. "Lot of good that did me." Ander sidestepped to appear in her vision once again. "Still, I think you'd be happier just being able to do… _ this. _" Ander motioned to the research filled room. "Go to Odessan. Join the Alliance and Doctor Oggurobb. He would love to work with you and you'd have more freedom and resources to help you pursue what you want. Tell them I sent you." Melora nodded slowly and Ander smiled down at her, before waving goodbye and heading for the Fury.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Malavai greeted him onboard the Fury and walked with him back to the bridge. "The ship is ready for takeoff, my lord, but what did you need to attend to, if you don't mind me asking?" Ander sighed as he took his seat at the helm, relaxing into the seat as he set a course for Dromund Kass. "Of course not but… well, let's let the autopilot take care of the trip. My leg is sore." Malavai glanced down at the repaired leg, noticing it to be slightly off-center. He winced and nodded. "Of course, my lord. We can take a short nap if you wish." Ander nodded and walked out and to his room, where he exited his power armor. Malavai took off and hung his pants and jacket, before joining Ander in the large king-sized bed that often came standard in the Fury class. Feeling it for the first time, Malavai couldn't deny how comfortable it was. He almost felt jealous towards his lord for not sharing. Though back then, if he had asked, Ander probably would have jumped at the opportunity. The thought made Malavai snicker and Ander looked to him curiously. "What's so funny?" He asked as he crawled closer to the officer, holding tightly onto Malavai's arm. "Nothing, my lord. Just thinking." Ander hummed, resting his head on Malavai's shoulder. "I told Melora to go to Odessan."

"I'm sorry? Why?" Ander nestled his nose into Malavai's neck, breathing against it and causing the officer to shudder. "I snitched on her to her master, back on Korriban. She ended up getting disowned by him and held back a couple years. That's why she was so angry earlier. She recognized me from back then. She really is just passionate about researching how hive minds operate, though. She has been since Korriban. I thought she'd have fun with Oggurobb…" Ander trailed off, returning to his silent peace. Malavai was quiet for a moment before a strange thought came to mind. "My lord," Ander looked up at him, once more. "What was the Sith Academy like?" Ander frowned, huffing another hot breath onto Malavai's skin. "I'll tell you later… I'm really tired right now."

"Of course, my lord. Sleep well…"


	2. Or Not...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! My first all on my own, smut! I hope you like it!
> 
> Yes, Malavai is considerate and responsible.

"My lord…" Ander suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, looking at the fully dressed officer standing next to him. "What? Are we there? Do I need to rush?" Ander asked, throwing the blankets off of him and jumping out of bed. Malavai stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him back to sit on the bed. "No, my lord. I just wanted you to be awake when we arrived. You still have an hour to wake up naturally."

"Oh. Okay." Ander said, relaxing as he yawned softly. Malavai smiled down at him but shifted his focus back to the power armor, his lord normally wore. "I don't think you should wear your power armor, though, my lord." Ander looked to the suit of armor and noticed that the damaged leg's knee was starting to sag a bit. The weight from the torso was starting to wear on it and the support beam that ran from the hip to the knee had been completely shattered from the Genosect soldier. "Oh… shit." Ander said as he got up off the bed and went over to the suit to inspect it. However, before he could reach it, the suit crumbled before him. The knee had completely failed and the torso fell forwards, crashing to the floor. The other leg, also fell to the ground, following the hip joint. "Yeah… I think Oggurobb is going to be displeased with me." Ander sighed as he lifted the armor up, with the Force, and neatly placed it in the corner. "Well… I can't go to Acina in a T-shirt and jeans…"

"I thought the same, my lord," Malavai said as he walked past Ander and over to a neatly laid out set of armor. "That's why I went and picked this out from the storage room." Ander recoiled at the sight of the old, worn gear. "Ugh! Where did you even find that old shit?! I thought I got rid of that years ago!" Malavai looked confused by Ander's outburst towards the set. "My lord, this armor is perfectly fine and it was the set you wore when you met me. I thought you would be happy to see it…" Ander shook his head. "Look, Malavai. I love you but that set is horrendous. It's so ugly!" Malavai glanced back at the gear and didn't find it particularly disgusting as his lord described. Sure, the metal's paint was worn and had been dented multiple times but it didn't have any holes in it. The color wasn't so displeasing either… it was green, wait, that couldn't be the reason. Could it? "My lord… do you not like the color green?" Malavai asked. Ander shook his head more furiously. "No, I do but that green… it- it looks like someone puked all over me!"

"I believe it's called forest green-"

"I don't like it." Ander pouted, sitting on the floor and crossing his arms. Malavai sighed and knelt down in front of him. "It will only be needed for an afternoon at most and it really doesn't look that bad. It's just the lighting in here…" Ander groaned and stood up. "Fine… but if anyone makes fun of me, I'm blaming you."

"Of course, my lord." Malavai smiled as Ander put on the old armor, mumbling as he did so.

\-----------------------

Ander and Malavai marched into Acina's throne room on Dromund Kaas. The Empress jumped up from her seat, eager to greet them. Clapping her hands, she walked over to them. "Good job on retrieving my new strategist and bringing order back to the operation. I have already been informed from Malgus that you expertly extracted him and dealt with Melora accordingly." Ander frowned at her, glaring daggers into her. "Do you want to explain how Malgus is even alive?" Acina looked at him with an unamused glance, before sighing. "I suppose, but I don't know why you care so much…"

"Why?!" Ander yelled. "Because Malgus, in his prime, staged risky operations that, while successful, also led to hundreds of unnecessary deaths. He talks about the faults of an Empire he helped to shape! He's reckless and ruthless in his pursuits. That's why!" Acina rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Fine." She started. "I knew he wasn't dead. Yes, he was ruthless but Malgus was never an idiot. He knew he was going to lose that fight against the Empire. He didn't want to fight the Empire, to begin with. He wanted to send a message to the Dark Council. A message that I heard loud and clear." Ander looked kind of lost, leading Acina to explain. "That's why I reformed the Dark Council but that's a tale for another time. No, Malgus challenged us Council members, expecting us **not** to fight him head-on. He installed a blast-proof safe house in the Ilum fortress, with a stasis pod where he would remain until the Empire or his fanatics came and freed him."

"How did you know this room existed?" Ander asked. "I didn't but ever since you disabled the Eternal Fleet, I've had our best scientists and archeologists looking for any sign of Malgus within the rubble."

"Okay… so you just so happened to find Malgus recently enough to keep him in stasis and deliver him to Ossus? How did he get his instructions? Did you write it on the lid?" Acina made a small chuckle but shook her head. "No. He's been freed for several months now. I just wanted him in the stasis pod so that his reveal would be cooler." Anded was dumbfounded and looked to Acina, hoping she was joking. She was not. "Now, if that's all, you are free to leave." Ander and Malavai bowed before her and quickly made their exit.

Once they were back on the Fury, Malavai turned to Ander. "That was… unexpected, to say the least." Ander nodded, sitting down at the ship's helm to set the course for Odessan. "Yeah. I thought for sure we'd be there for a few months not… two days." Malavai nodded, smiling. "I suppose we owe Grophl an apology. He's going to be quite upset with us, I believe..." Malavai chuckled as he flew the ship out of the Spaceport. "Oh, definitely."

\------------------------

Back safely on Odessan, the couple were greeted by Jaesa, Heig, and an energetic grophet. Grophl completely ignored the fact that his parents were only gone two days and smothered them with kisses. Jaesa bowed before the two of them, welcoming them back. "Welcome back, Master, Captain." She smiled softly. Ander, with Grophl snuggled up in one arm, wrapped his spare arm around her, hugging her. She hugged him back, receiving kisses from Grophl as she did. Malavai instead addressed Heig, who was very surprised to see them back so early. "What happened? I thought you guys were called to war." Malavai sighed and Ander released Jaesa to answer him. "Apparently we were called to get things in order to bring Malgus back." Heig sputtered as he tried to formulate a response. "What?! But- What?!?" Ander nodded and Heig blew up. "That fucking bitch!"

"Heig…" Malavai started, but Heig continued. "No! Fuck that! I used my best explosives for that! I spent one point two million credits, of my own money, on additional explosives for that mission! What the actual fuck?!" Heig finally went quiet, for a moment, before turning to his father. "She better fucking pay me back. Fucks sake." He said before storming back into the base. Malavai looked surprised but ultimately disappointed in his son's outburst and turned back to Jaesa and Ander. "I apologize for his behavior…" Jaesa smiled and shook her head. "It's alright, Captain. I think his anger was understandable." Malavai clasped his hands together in front of his face and sighed. "Don't tell him that. He will carry on for months if you let him. His temper is only rivaled by my father's and I have been raising him to know when to give up. Please, for the love of the Emperor, do not encourage him."

"Ah… Don't worry, Captain. I won't." Jaesa smiled awkwardly before turning back to Ander. "Well, Master. We're glad you're back. Do you need any help unpacking?" Ander shook his head but motioned towards his armor. Jaesa took a moment to figure out his meaning but she eventually figured it out. "Oh, I see. I'll inform Oggurobb on my way in. Good day." Jaesa said, waving goodbye to them and leaving across the bridge. Ander sighed, setting Grophl onto the grass and turning to Malavai. "I'll take care of the power armor. Would you go pack up the rest of our things in the meantime? I think we should actually officially move back into the apartment while we are able."

"Of course, my lord. I'll take Grophl back with me." Ander nodded, watching them leave before taking his leave to grab his armor.

Malavai scratched Grophl's favorite spot as he made his way to his room until he heard a familiar voice speak to him. "You're leaving Odessan… for good." Malavai turned to see One walking towards him in that empty hallway, just before his door. Sadly, he nodded but didn't let it show as he smiled up at the Pureblood. "Yes, but it's not like we won't keep in touch. All of our friends are here, including you and Eleven. It would be wrong for us to abandon that." One nodded, though it didn't seem like he initially approached him because he was sad. One looked to the door. "Do you need help?" Malavai was surprised to see him offer but shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary. My lord just asked me to pack everything up. I assume he will carry it out once his armor has been repaired." One tilted his head. "His armor was damaged?" Malavai nodded. "I tried to fix it but it fell apart the next day." He smiled and looked to the door as well. "Well, if you'd like we could talk while I pack." One didn't say anything and simply nodded. Malavai gladly let him in before getting started on clearing out the room's contents…

"So you and Eleven have decided to stay here?" Malavai asked, glancing back at the Pureblood for just a moment before looking back at the things he was packing away. "Yes." One started, taking a seat on the couch. "Eleven has made it clear she wishes to remain close to the children."

"Tirall's children, I presume."

"Yes… and others, soon." Malavai dropped the stack of clothes he was organizing and quickly turned to face One. "Are you saying…?"

"Eleven has expressed the urge to repopulate the Hand. She wants to serve Zakuul's rule." Malavai dropped his shoulders and One sensed the uncomfortable feeling coming from him. One tilted his head up to more closely observe his friend's body language. Malavai was extremely uncomfortable asking the question out loud. "It's…" One paused, he didn't know exactly how to explain his own feelings on the whole matter. "Complicated. Eleven wishes to be more connected than our elders before us."

"So, like a family?" Malavai asked, a hopeful smile on his face. One grimaced but he nodded. "It's alright to be unsure of how to treat your children. I, too, had no previous experience to pull from when I was raising Heig but…" Malavai started. "As long as you treat them with respect when they have earned it and discipline them fairly, you shouldn't have a problem." One nodded but said nothing. "Oh, um, sorry. I know you didn't ask for advice-"

"Out loud." Malavai went quiet, smiling at One's honesty. Finally satisfied with the conversation topic, the officer decided to return to the clothes he had discarded before. However, before he was able to really continue, Arcann rushed around the corner, peeking his head through the doorway. "Are you really leaving Odessan for good?" He asked, stepping into the room. Malavai smiled, folding up the clothes and putting them away neatly. "Yes, but my lord and I will still be in touch. Besides," Malavai said, putting the lid on the now full crate. "With our leave, you and Ms. Willsaam may take our room and live together." Arcann blushed brightly and used his clothed arm to cover his face. Malavai chuckled softly and smiled at the young man. "I apologize Arcann. I couldn't resist." Arcann nodded but didn't lower his arm. Malavai sighed and looked around the room. Everything was packed away into a crate except for the furniture and the Artifacts Machine, along with the Black Box in the closet. He walked up to the old machine, turning on the screen and logging into the GUI. Arcann and One became curious, walking up to stand behind him. "What are you looking for?" Arcann asked. "I just want to see if my lord really added the information on the Black Box." Malavai looked for a while and eventually found what he was looking for. He opened the ship's star course and it revealed an epic journey across three separate galaxies. The trio stood silently before the massive map. Malavai took a moment to zoom in on the starting point, over thousands of years ago… **Earth**. Malavai zoomed in as far as the program would allow, until… a voice message prompt appeared next to the spherical planet. Malavai immediately let it play, without a second thought. 

_ "Earth." _ Malavai recognized the voice. It was Elise. _ "Our home. My father told me stories that his parents had told him. I wish I could have seen it. It sounded so beautiful but… We couldn't stay. My father said we wanted to help but we were doing more harm than good, so we left." _ Everyone was respectfully silent as the audio log took a more somber turn. Elice's voice was starting to become strained and it sounded like she was crying. _ "But, it's my turn to say this, like my father before me. Should any historians wish to visit Earth and have the ability to… Remember, blue is the most human color." _ The audio log ended abruptly and Malavai turned off the monitor, turning back to his friends. One looked at him questionably. "Earth is… the origin planet of humanity." One nodded and the officer walked over to the doorway. "Well, I'm going to go check on my lord. If you wish to accompany me, you may." One shook his head. "I must return to Eleven's side. She is… reaching out to me." One walked over to Malavai, bowed before him, and left the room. Arcann approached the officer. "I'll come." Malavai nodded and walked down to the Science Lab with the young prince following closely behind.

  
  


Ander watched as Doctor Oggurobb and his fellow scientists hoisted the power armor onto a rack to be repaired. Ander hadn't said it yet, but he felt absolutely horrible for breaking the suit. Oggurobb didn't sound too pleased at first but he didn't look too bothered either. Still, it was probably best he said thank you. "Hey, Doctor Oggurobb," The Hutt turned to him, giving _ half _ of his available attention. "Sorry for trashing the suit. I know you worked really hard on it the first time. So, thank you for repairing it." The Hutt laughed softly and turned back to the suit's progress. "I put this thing together with sticks, tape, and the occasional metal sheets. We didn't have nearly the amount of resources we do now. I was actually hoping to get a chance to update it. Also, _ thank you _for sending this lovely girl my way." Doctor Oggurobb motioned towards a black-haired scientist who was too busy with her research to look up, but Ander knew who she was. He smiled and watched Oggurobb do his magic.

Malavai and Arcann walked into the lab to find Ander on the sidelines, checking his holopad. "My lord." Malavai smiled as he went over to him. Ander shot his head up and smiled, standing up to take the officer into his arms. Malavai returned his embrace in earnest. They eventually parted and only then did Ander notice Arcann standing off to the side, waiting patiently. "Arcann," Ander said, patting the younger man on the shoulder. Arcann nodded, glancing down at Ander's armor before looking up. Ander sighed and just pointed to Malavai. "He dug it out of the storage room. I had no intention of wearing this ugly thing ever again." Oggurobb glanced back at the group. "I wasn't going to ask but it looked like someone threw up their lunch on you." Ander frowned and looked to Malavai, who was sending death glares towards the scientist. Oggurobb smiled nervously and returned his attention back to the suit. The Major then turned back to meet his lord's _ "I-told-you-so" _expression. It was halfway between snarky and childish prideful but somehow adorable at the same time. "I think it's a lovely color," Malavai commented, brushing off some stray dirt from Ander's shoulder. Arcann inspected the armor more closely, noting some major flaws with its design. The armor pads on the legs and arms had no specific design or pattern to them, making it seem as though scrap metal was strapped together. The green paint wasn't the worst color, however, it was obvious from the dents in the metal, that it had been painted once before. Small areas of green had been scratched off, revealing the orangey-brown of the previous coat. That mixed with the green really made the whole thing look worse than it would have if just one solid color. "If perhaps," Arcann started, taking ahold of Ander's forearm to show the two colors. "You stripped all the paint off, both layers, and then repainted it green, it would be fine." Ander pulled his arm away and threw the armor off of him. He chucked it into the corner of the room, leaving him in a shirt and pants. "Yeah, well, once the power armor is fixed, I'm going to throw the whole set in the smelter." Malavai looked shocked and hurt by Ander's words. "But, my lord-"

"Enough!" Ander turned on his heel and shouted at Malavai. "This isn't up for discussion. Understand?" Malavai held his tongue and looked away from his lord. It took Ander a moment to realize his folly, which was his first mistake.

"Understood,_ my lord _." Malavai quickly left the lab, storming back to their room. Ander recoiled and felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Arcann frowned at him but approached the Sith. "I..." Arcann tilted his head as Ander began to tear up. "I didn't mean to say it like that. I just… Fuck." Ander looked to the old armor scattered on the ground. Arcann used the Force and picked up the old armor, packing it into an empty box and placing it in front of Ander. "You really think saving it will be enough?" Ander looked at Arcann with a feeling of guilty regret he had seen before. Arcann shook his head. "No, but it's a start." Ander nodded.

"Okay." Ander looked towards Oggurobb, who presented the newly repaired power armor. It had just been lowered onto a platform, letting it stand on its own. Ander immediately noticed some new things about the suit, which Oggurobb excitedly began to point out and explain. "First, we replaced the support columns with a smaller, yet stronger tri-braided beams. The three columns wrap around each other tightly, creating a stronger yet more forgiving structure. Not only that but we tacked on more armor plating to protect the support beams and wiring. We've also been experimenting with magnets. So we added some to your boots. If you ever need to walk on walls, they will be very helpful. Also, we touched up the paint and added some lights to the whole thing."

"Cool. Can I get in it now?" Ander asked, walking up to the platform. "Of course." Ander climbed into the suit and excitedly jumped off the platform. He ran over to Arcann, grabbing the box and waving goodbye to him before rushing out of the lab. Ander ran to his room but found the crates of stuff gone and Malavai nowhere to be seen. He really wanted to apologize to him and rushed out to see if he was on the Fury.

  
  


Outside, Jaesa set the crates down next to the Fury's loading ramp and turned to the Major. "I don't think he meant to yell at you. I bet he has already regretted saying such things to you." Grophl whined and whimpered at his father. Malavai sighed, picking up the pup and nodding his head slowly. "I know but… well, I guess I never figured his anger would ever be directed at me. I just wasn't prepared for that." Jaesa placed a hand on Malavai's shoulder and smiled softly at him. "Small spats and fights are healthy for a relationship. My mother said sometimes she would get so angry at my father, she felt like she couldn't stand him… but, she also couldn't bear to be without him. Every time they fought, my father would bring her a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine." Malavai laughed softly. "I believe the wine was a memory wiping strategy."

"I suppose." Jaesa laughed. She smiled and turned to look up at the base. Malavai turned as well and saw Ander, in his power armor, jumping from the Military Hangar Bay and flying towards them. Grophl snorted and sniffed at the sight of his other father coming. Ander landed directly in front of the man he loved, holding the box of old gear. Malavai looked at the contents and then curiously up at his lord. "Sorry for yelling at you. I know this won't be enough for you to forgive me but it's a start."

"My lord.." Malavai tightened his hold on the grophet in his arms, embracing the pup close to his chest. Grophl didn't mind the cuddles and rubbed his face against Malavai's jacket. The officer didn't say anything as he simply nodded, reaching forward to pull the Sith into a tight embrace. "Thank you." Ander smiled and returned his embrace.

  
  


Finally, after putting the last crate onto the ship, Ander turned to Jaesa and Arcann, who had come out to send him off. "If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to call," Ander said, hugging Jaesa before moving onto Arcann. The young prince didn't say anything as he reached his arm out to shake his hand. Or so, Ander thought. Once he outstretched his arm, Arcann grabbed his forearm and shook it firmly. A second later, Ander was pulled into a tight hug, which only became more intense once he returned it. Pulling away, Ander placed his hand on Arcann's shoulder and smiled at him. "Take care of yourself." Arcann nodded and stood vigilantly next to Jaesa as they watched the Fury finally take off and leave Odessan.

Ander sat at the helm and was immediately taken away by Tenebrae. The spirit looked like he was surprised by what had just happened before him. “You know,” He started. “When you said you wanted to adopt Arcann, Thexan, and Vaylin, I didn’t expect any of them to actually accept such a thing…” Ander nodded, listening quietly to the old ghost. “But what Arcann did before we left… He only ever did that with Thexan. He’s truly accepted you as family.” Ander smiled, feeling a peaceful warmth in his heart. “I know.”

  
  


**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

  
  


Ander finished packing away the final few things into the closet, while Malavai ensured Grophl was satisfied with his _ new _ living conditions. Not much had changed for the grophet except for one major difference. He was given a new collar that would wirelessly signal the doors to open in his presence. Grophl was too short for the automatic door sensors, meaning, he had to have someone open the doors for him, until now. Malavai instructed Grophl to approach the bedroom door. He did and the door magically opened before him. Grophl was so pleased. He snorted his satisfaction before running upstairs, taking a quick potty break, and running back downstairs. Malavai smiled down at him, giving him a loving scratch behind the ears. Grophl snorted his appreciation and left the room to play with his toys in the kitchen.

Ander glanced around the room, proud of his progress. Malavai walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around the younger man and laying a kiss on his cheek. "You did a wonderful job, my lord." Ander smiled, turning to face him and return his kiss. "Thanks." Malavai walked him over to sit on the bed. They sat as close as they could, admiring the room they had decorated together. The desk was littered with pictures of them, Heig, and their friends. The walls weren't bare either, sporting a beautifully framed picture of their wedding day and first kiss, as well as an Alliance flag next to an Empire flag. However, there was a mark on the floor where the Artifacts Machine had been. It made Ander sad but he knew Zakuul would appreciate it so much more. "It's strange not having it be there anymore, isn't it, my lord?"

"Yeah. I guess I'll have to find some other way to entertain myself." Malavai smiled somewhat wickedly. "I have some inkling on what we could do, my lord."

Ander recognized that lust-filled tone and didn't flinch when Malavai suddenly pressed their faces together. Grabbing the back of Ander's head, Malavai kept him still as he worked his tongue into his lord's mouth. Ander breathed into the deepness of such a kiss, showing his eagerness for what was to follow. The Sith complied with his request, twirling his tongue around with Malavai's. Satisfied with his reaction, Malavai pulled away, giving Ander a chance to breathe. Looking at the officer now, however, made him even more breathless. His hungry eyes, his wet lips, and his cheeks slightly blushed. Ander imagined he looked almost the same but not nearly as cool. "Well, my lord? Your answer?"

"Yes, of course," Ander said, incredibly impatient. Malavai chuckled softly, landing a small peck on his cheek. "Consent is important, my lord." Malavai went in for another kiss, this one not as intense as he pushed Ander to lie on his back, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed. Ander huffed a hot breath as Malavai reentered his arms, laying down on top of him to kiss him again and push their bodies together. The officer kept his lord's mouth and mind distracted with his skillful tongue while his hands roamed to his chest. Lifting his shirt, Malavai paused to sit up on top of Ander, restraining his lower end but also taking a moment to admire his lord's magnificent torso. Ander blushed deeply as Malavai ran his fingers along the outlines of his muscular system. He licked his lips as he leaned down to trace kisses along Ander's jaw and down his neck. Every inch of muscle was perfectly sculpted to create the perfect example of peak performance, at least, in Malavai's eyes. Sitting up once more, Malavai went in for another quick kiss, licking Ander's lips before parting. "You are the most perfect human in all existence, my lord. All other humans should strive to achieve your level of beauty." Malavai helped Ander out of his shirt and leaned in to kiss him more. The light moans coming from his lord's throat were intoxicating and _ addicting _. Malavai needed more and left his lord's mouth to play with his chest. Slowly, he arrived at his nipple, kissing his lord's skin on the way down. First, he licked it, teasing it, then he began to suck and Ander tried his hardest not to make any noise. Using his hand to cover his mouth, Ander moaned into it. His legs were also restless, seeking some leverage. Ander then began to involuntarily push himself further up onto the bed. Malavai stopped suddenly and pulled Ander back into place.

"Patience, my lord." Ander whimpered defiantly but Malavai hushed him with a sharp nibble on the neck. Ander yelped and covered his mouth again. Malavai smiled wickedly and slid a hand under Ander, causing him to arch his back. In one swift motion, Malavai removed Ander's pants and trousers all at once. The Sith blushed deeply as his officer gazed upon his bare body. "M-Malavai…" Kissing Ander passionately, once more, Malavai stuck his tongue into his lord's hungry mouth again, giving him the intimacy he so desperately desired. "I know, my love. Give me a moment." Malavai rushed as he removed his own clothing, tossing it behind him as he returned to Ander. "Better?" His young husband nodded. Malavai smiled as he went in for a softer kiss, opting to take the time to lower his hips against his lord's. Ander whimpered and pulled away from the kiss, pushing Malavai off of him. Ander glanced up at Malavai's confused face and immediately withdrew his hands. "Sorry… I-" Malavai listened intently, wondering if he had crossed an unspoken line. "Even though I've done this a couple of times with you, I keep finding that I don't know how to act…" Malavai nodded, leaning down to embrace Ander and place a kiss on his shoulder blade. "That's alright, my lord. I will teach you everything and next time," He leaned closer to whisper in Ander's ear. "Is your turn." The younger man turned bright red and whimpered as Malavai's hand brushed over his cock. He recovered his mouth, grabbing his jaw, as he watched the officer slide off the bed and kneel before his exposed hole. He whined as Malavai drew his mouth close to his ass, kissing the cheeks as he approached his hole. Malavai licked his lips and reached his hand up, grabbing the hardened shaft of his lord, before shoving his tongue into his ass. Ander moaned loudly into his palms, spreading his legs as the officer pulled on his cock and licked his hole. Malavai's hand expertly slid up and down his shaft, giving tight squeezes every now and then as he increased in pressure and speed.

Eventually, his tongue wasn't nearly enough and Malavai withdrew his mouth and released Ander's cock. Using the precum procured during his handjob as lube, Malavai inserted his moistened fingers into Ander's ass. He ignored Ander's quiet pleas for him to stop teasing him and made sure to loosen his lord properly. Inserting two fingers was easy enough as they effortlessly slid in until the knuckles. However, pushing them apart was a bit harder. Ander was eagerly squeezing down on him and wasn't letting up. Malavai decided to give in to his demands, but only a little bit. He pushed his fingers into his lord until he found the prostate and gave it some pressure. A simple tap was enough to get Ander to relax his muscles and let Malavai continue stretching him out. In the meantime, however, he would not bore his husband. Malavai lifted his head up and began to lick Ander's cock. "N-no! Don't! I want to cum with you- Ah!" Ander moaned loudly as Malavai shoved his entire shaft down his throat. The smell of musk and taste of sweat threatened to choke him, along with his lord's girth. Of course, it wasn't long before Malavai felt Ander clampdown around his fingers and he immediately removed himself from his lord's cock and ass. Ander whined in protest but was pleased to have his officer in his arms. "Ready, my lord?"

"Yes, please…" Malavai nodded as he lifted his hips and guided his own extremely hard and slick cock to Ander's hole. A deep kiss was the perfect distraction for Ander as Malavai entered him without much effort or pain. Malavai parted from the kiss with a deep moan, cradling Ander as he held himself still, giving his lord a chance to adjust. "Mmm… I love you, my lord." He whispered, cherishing the feeling of being inside his husband. The tight cavity holding so desperately onto him, made him want to move so badly, his cock aching to fuck the young man before him. Yet he resisted. Malavai took pride in his level of restraint and the pleasure he gave to his partner. Finally, Ander moaned softly and removed his hands from his face, wrapping them around Malavai. "I love you too… You can move, now." The officer eagerly nodded as he pulled halfway out and slowly pushed back in, searching for the right spot. Yet again, he'd have to show some sort of restraint but this was easier. He was giving just a tiny amount of pleasure to the both of them, while he set the stage. He wanted every stroke to be purposeful and give copious amounts of pleasure that it resembled a shockwave through his body. In a way, he wanted his lord to cry and scream his name while also feeling like he'll cum any moment. He wanted the best for his partner on their first run, their last run and everything in between.

He did this for about three or four times until Ander involuntarily looked away from him, dug his fingers into Malavai's back and curled his toes. _ That's it _. Malavai thought as he pulled almost all the way out and quickly thrusted back into that spot. Ander moaned loudly and shot his head back, clawing his husband's back as he roughly thrust in and out of him, hitting that spot every time. The loud, unbounded moans that echoed from Ander's mouth only made Malavai push harder, lifting his leg onto the bed to make it easier for himself. Malavai sat up somewhat, still letting Ander hold onto him as was needed. He grabbed his lord's hips and began to wildly thrust into him. Ander felt hot tears stream from his eyes as the pressure built up in his chest and throat. He tried to hold it but as Malavai's thrusts became more erratic, his will began to crumble. Malavai's rough moans sent shivers through his whole body. He couldn't take much more of the relentless onslaught from his husband's hips but he also wanted it so badly. Ander thrusted his own hips up into Malavai's as he dove into him, causing both of them to moan loudly. Malavai paused his movement, taking a moment to watch as Ander grinded his cock into his prostate, begging for him to continue. "My lord," Ander stopped moving and looked up at his husband. "You're doing dangerous things. If you want me to last-" Ander shook his head furiously and pulled Malavai down to kiss him. "I don't care if you cum in me, fuck me up, please!" Malavai pulled Ander into a furious kiss. His tongue forcing its way into his lord's mouth as his hips thrusted forcefully back into his ass. Ander pulled out of the kiss, moaning and crying as he quickly approached his end again. Malavai was losing all self-control as his breathing became erratic and his own pleasure blinding him. As Ander's own sounds began to mirror his husband's, he was sure he close. "Mal- Ah!" Ander tried saying his name but a swift jab to his prostate silenced him. "Me too, my lord." It didn't matter if he couldn't say it, Malavai had grown accustomed to his body and was perfectly in tune with his wants and needs. The officer slowed his pace to long, hard thrusts, pushing himself all the way into Ander as they both reached their climax. Ander groaning and cumming onto himself, while Malavai emptied his seed into his lord. In the end, Malavai fell down on top of Ander, breathing heavily as he pulled out. Eventually, he rolled off of Ander and moved himself to lay next to him.

Ander huffed a hot breath, turning to throw his arm across Malavai's chest and pulling himself closer to the man. "You shouldn't have let me do that." Malavai started, looking at Ander, who wasn't immediately sure of what he was referring to but soon caught up. "Why not?"

"Because you'd have to take a shower and you're tired, my lord." Ander frowned and dug his nose into Malavai's neck. "You've been working hard and- What's wrong, my lord?" Ander shook his head. "I'm surprised you even wanted to do it with me after I yelled at you…"

"You're still worried about that?" Ander nodded and sadly looked up at Malavai. The officer huffed and turned onto his side, reaching out his hands to grab Ander's face. "I love you, my lord. One little spat isn't going to change that." Ander closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay." Malavai smiled, watching Ander open his eyes and smile up at him. "Alright, let's go take a shower, my lord." Ander nodded but felt an overwhelming ache sting from within his chest. It was a familiar silent pain that didn't hurt per se, but drug sharp nails across his chest cavity, letting the pain drag on. Tenebrae was silent, which told him it wasn't something even the spirit in his mind could see. It was a pain all his own and he ** _deserved _ **it.

Coming out of the bathroom, after a well-needed wash, Ander noticed that Malavai had gone ahead and laid out some pajamas for him. He quickly put them on and made his way into the kitchen. Malavai had just given Grophl his dinner and was at the stove cooking a light dinner for them. The officer turned and smiled at Ander, greeting him briefly before returning to the heated surface. A recognizable pang tore across his chest but Ander did his best to ignore it. "Need any help?" He asked, making his way to the cupboard where the dishes were. “No, my lord, it’s alright, the food is nearly done. You can go ahead and take a seat.”

“Alright.” Ander went over to the table, taking a seat at his usual spot. He felt a terrible ache in his heart for some reason and it wasn’t long before Tenebrae took notice. The spirit manifested beside him, checking in on him. _ Hey, are you okay? I thought you’d be happy to finally move back here. _ Ander nodded slightly, staring holes into the table before him. _ I am… I just- _He was interrupted when Malavai placed a plate of hot food in front of him and he instinctively pushed Tenebrae back into dormancy. “Thanks.” Malavai smiled and took a seat beside him. “Your welcome, my lord.” Ander looked at the officer. He looked so happy on the surface.

_ You idiot… _ Ander felt a shiver run down his spine as the ominous voice boomed in his head. “My lord?” Malavai noticed the distressed look Ander wore and grew worried. “Sorry, I’m fine. Just staring off into space.” Ander laughed, shrugging off his concern. He picked up his fork and quickly began eating. Malavai wasn’t easily convinced but didn’t want to probe him any further. He would let him eat first.


	3. Feeling Better About Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the title since I was unhappy about what it conveyed. This title may change but the overall chapter will not. Hang on guys, it will get more interesting. I promise.

_ How could you be so inconsiderate?! _ Ander squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the voices. _ He’ll never love you now! _ He looked in the mirror, wondering what was wrong with him now. _ He could never love such a _ ** _monster_ ** _ . _ It wasn’t the first time he had experienced the symptoms of his depression but it felt like ages since he had felt this bad. Ander grabbed the tuft of his shirt, pulling it into his fist. He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes once more and opening them as he breathed out. _ It’s not real. _ Ander thought to himself.

_ Not real…? What isn’t? _Tenebrae appeared next to him. Ander sighed and looked at the spirit. “I’m…” Ander paused, wondering if he should call them voices, per se. He decided against it as that wasn’t the case, not really. “My depression is weighing me down again. My own thoughts are working against me.”

_ Oh… _ Tenebrae floated over to the other side of Ander, closer to the door of the bathroom. _ Do you want me to ask Malavai for help? Since you won’t? _ Ander smiled but shook his head. _ No, I should be fine. I need to learn how to repress this on my own. _Ander whispered, sensing Malavai’s presence coming closer.

Malavai turned the corner, entering the master bathroom. “My lord, may we talk?” Ander looked to him and nodded, walking out of the bedroom with him. “Of course, what do you want to talk about?” He asked, taking a seat on their bed and looking up at the officer. “Actually, I was hoping we could take a walk outside and talk. I feel like it would be good for us.”

“Oh, okay.” Ander stood up and walked with Malavai to the elevator. Grophl rushed past them and waited patiently by the doors. Malavai smiled, seeing the pup had already retrieved his leash. “Alright, you may come with us.” The pup vibrated with utter joy and excitement as Malavai attached his leash. The three of them hopped into the elevator and left the apartment. 

Ander had taken hold of Grophl’s leash, holding tightly onto the strap as the little pup tugged harder and harder. It wasn’t a problem for him, obviously, as he outweighed the grophet dramatically. He walked silently next to Malavai until they reached the market plaza, where the officer suddenly turned to him. “My lord, I wanted to address what happened just before we left Odessan." Ander sighed, dreading the topic but gave him his full attention, regardless. "I'm not upset anymore. You don't need to beat yourself up for one slight of tongue. I overreacted and I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing! Stop acting like you don't deserve to be angry! You are allowed to have feelings and have them hurt!" Ander yelled, accidentally tugging Grophl's leash, pulling the pup closer. He immediately apologized to the grophet, looking down to check on him. When he saw the pup wasn't hurt, he looked up to see an unwanted familiar face, staring back at him. Ander immediately pulled Malavai forward into his chest, holding onto him tightly. “My lord?” The officer tried to turn his head but Ander did his best to keep him close. “What do you want, Pierce?” Despite Ander’s best efforts, Malavai pulled himself from his grasp and turned to face the soldier.

“Pierce? It’s been years, how are you?” Malavai approached him happily but Pierce backed away from him, keeping a line of sight on the Sith Lord behind him. Malavai looked at him questionably and then at his lord. Ander was sending Pierce an aggressive glare. “S-Sorry, I better go. Excuse me.” Pierce said before quickly leaving the area.

Malavai was stunned. He knew his lord disliked Pierce but it had been years. For them to have such an intense interaction now, after all this time, seemed ridiculous. “My lord? Do you want to explain to me what that was about?” Ander sighed, softening his expression and signaling him to come closer. Malavai did as instructed and Ander leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Pierce knows you betrayed me. He tailed us and saw everything.” Malavai was dead silent as Ander continued. “He pulled me aside, telling me how surprised he was in my choice and that he would have chosen to kill you. I told him to stay the fuck away from you or I’d kill him." Andre pulled back and spoke normally once more. "Please, believe me when I say, I did this to protect you.”

“_ Protect _ me? By scaring a man so badly he doesn’t even want to come near me? How _ could _ you?” Malavai was trembling with rage. He was just so angry with Ander.

Without another thought, Malavai picked up Grophl, snatching the leash from his lord’s grasp. “I think you should apologize to Pierce, my lord.”

“Apologize?! He wanted to kill you!” Ander said but Malavai wouldn't have it. He turned on his heel and snapped back at him. “He has done nothing. He hasn’t touched me, talked to me, or seen me in seven years!” Ander went silent and made no attempt to argue any further. Malavai turned away, resisting the urge to let his emotions take over any further. Grophl whined loudly, wondering why his parents were fighting. “Sorry, boy, but your father needs some time to himself. Let’s go home.” Malavai left with the pup, leaving Ander in the plaza, alone.

_ Well… That’s about as well as it could have gone. _ Tenebrae said, appearing out from behind Ander. _ Really? You think so? _ Ander growled. Tenebrae nodded, not realizing that it was rhetorical. Ander huffed and took a seat on a nearby bench. He put his head in his hands, wishing that he could go back in time and avoid the whole situation. _ Well, that's never gonna happen. _ Tenebrae said, floating up to him. Ander glared at him but turned away. The spirit sighed, pacing in front of him. _ Just apologize. _ Ander huffed but said nothing. Tenebrae frowned and stopped in his tracks. _ Is it really worth your marriage? _ Ander frowned and shook his head. _ No… _ He sighed and stood up, looking around to see if the soldier was still around. Of course, he wasn't but Tenebrae offered a solution. _ Jump up and see if you can see him from the sky. _Ander smiled and Force jumped up to the nearest building. The people beneath him thought he was crazy- or amazing, but that didn't matter to him. He wanted to make up with Malavai, no matter what.

The building he landed on was just barely taller than the surrounding ones, giving him a pretty sweet viewpoint. Scanning the tight alleyways, Ander spotted his target and quickly jumped down to him, landing just in front of him. Pierce jumped back, recoiling in fear as he tried to get away. Ander grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "Please! I did as you said and stayed away! Don't hurt me, please!" Ander was surprised to see the man in such a pitiful state. All the bravado and confidence he remembered most about Pierce was gone and he huddled before him like a frightened animal, staring up at a fearsome predator. Ander was disgusted with himself. He had done the one thing he had promised himself would never happen.

"I'm sorry." Pierce blinked and looked up at the Sith before him. He wasn’t glaring at him but rather, looked quite sad. Ander, even though he still disliked Pierce, did his best to sound as genuine as possible. “I’m sorry I threatened to kill you. It was unprofessional and uncalled for. I hope you can forgive me and we can put this behind us.”

“So… you’re not going to kill me?” Pierce was incredibly confused but Ander shook his head, kneeling before the soldier. “Please, if you can somehow forgive me, could you please call Malavai and tell him I apologized?” Pierce looked at him puzzlingly. “Um,” It took him a moment to realize who he was referring to but it eventually clicked. “Oh, uh, sure. No problem.” Ander jumped up suddenly, grabbing Pierce by the shoulders and giving him the shock of his life. “Thank you!” Ander yelled before releasing him and Force jumping away. Pierce just stood there, shell shocked, for a moment before snapping out of it and calling Malavai.

  
  


Ander walked into the apartment to find Malavai waiting for him. He smiled at his lord and was met by an excitedly, warm hug. He wrapped his arms around the Sith, hugging him in earnest. “I’m so proud of you.” Ander relaxed into his embrace, thankful for his presence. “You heard from Pierce?” Malavai nodded and pulled away to look at him, before going in for a sweet kiss. "He was slightly shaken up but pleasantly surprised with your apology." Malavai smiled and took Ander's hands into his own, locking eyes with him. "Thank you, my lord." Ander went quiet, enjoying the peace he felt in his husband's vicinity. Malavai reached up and caressed his cheek, causing a chuckle to erupt from him. “You have no idea how much you mean to me,” Ander said finally, resting his forehead against Malavai’s. “I think I have an idea, my lord.”

"No, really, everything I do, I do for you. I hate disappointing you and I want you to like me."

"My lord, you are the same for me. To think that I could upset you in any way would be devastating. You are my everything, as well." Malavai smiled, leading Ander to the bedroom for a good night's rest.

  
  


\---------------------------

  
  


Ander awoke in a slightly better mood, next to Malavai who was wrapped in his arms. He looked at the clock to notice its alarm wasn’t set. A rare occurrence but they weren’t quick to sleep last night either. Still, it wasn’t late, so Ander wasn’t worried about being scolded this time. He pressed his nose into Malavai’s disheveled hair, breathing in his clean scent. The officer didn’t hate the action but made it very clear that he disliked it when he was awake. He always felt uncomfortable when Ander announced his undying love for the man.

He decided it was time to wake the officer and moved his shoulders to jog Malavai out of place, a sure way to wake him. It didn’t take much to wake him and in a couple seconds, he was wide awake and looking up at Ander. “Good morning, my lord…” Realizing his position, Malavai pushed out of Ander’s arms and sat up, looking at the clock. He looked back at the Sith, who looked somewhat disappointed by his leave. “Did we not set the alarm?” Ander shook his head and eventually sat up. “No, that’s why I woke you up.” Malavai hummed, nodding as he looked around the room. Surprisingly, there was a missing element in the form of a fuzzy, plump grophet. “Where is Grophl?” Ander looked around the room, as well, noticing the pup’s absence. “I don’t know…” Yet, before they began to panic, the bedroom door opened suddenly and Grophl pranced on in, looking quite proud of himself.

Malavai got off the bed and approached him. “Oh, did you go potty this morning, boy?” Grophl snorted before walking over to the bed, jumping onto it and snuggling into the pillows. Ander smiled down at him, giving him a loving kiss before leaving the bedroom with Malavai.

“That collar was a great idea, Malavai.”

“Yes,” Malavai started as he turned to walk into the kitchen. Ander pulled out a chair, facing it away from the table and taking a seat. “He seems to have taken to his newfound independence. Perhaps, I should buy an auto feeder.” Malavai walked over to the fridge viewed the contents and possible meals he could make on the door. He hummed as he scanned the list over. Ander glanced over at him, wondering what he was thinking. _ Ugh… Just read his mind, you twit! _ Tenebrae’s voice echoed from the hallway terminal, surprising both of them. Malavai looked to Ander, who looked extremely embarrassed and aggravated by the spirit’s outburst. He was about to tell him off when Malavai interrupted him.

“You don’t read my mind, my lord?” Ander looked surprised by his question, which confused the officer. “No, of course not.”

“Why? One always did and I found it to be rather useful.”

“It’s an invasion of privacy." Malavai saw the bothered look his lord wore and couldn't help but find it endearing. _ Of course, he would think that way… _ Malavai thought. "Alright, my lord." Ander looked up at him curiously. "Would you read my mind if I asked you to?" Ander pondered a bit but ultimately nodded. "But only if you ask." Malavai nodded, looking back at the fridge's list. "What do you want to eat this morning, my lord?" Ander groaned at the question, resting his head on the table. "Maybe we could skip breakfast and go out for lunch?"

"Alright…" Malavai took a seat next to his lord. "That could do, I suppose. What should we do in the meantime though?" Ander hummed as Malavai couldn't help but smile at the younger man. "Well… you said you wanted to hear about my time at the Academy…" Malavai looked at Ander surprisingly. He wasn't expecting an answer to that _ stupid _ question which, honestly, he shouldn't have asked. "Oh, my lord, you don't have to retell such a thing… I shouldn't have asked for such personal history-"

"Oh, alright." Ander looked away sadly, which made Malavai's heart skip a beat. "Unless, of course, you need to talk with someone about it. I'm always willing to listen." Ander smiled at the officer, nodding in thought as he began his story.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"After we got there, Uncle Harkun was so accommodating and understanding of our needs. He really did his best to take care of us, but I learned very quickly that everyone else would not be."

\---------------

Ander studied hard under Overseer Tremel's guidance. If he ever had trouble, he was encouraged to seek help from any of the Overseers or Trainers. Even one of the guards had seen him struggling and gave him some advice, which Ander greatly appreciated. They were all so helpful but the other acolytes, or students for the uninformed, saw it differently.

Eskella Gryton, Tremel's daughter and apprentice had constantly been hounding her father in front of Ander. She demanded to know why he had been expedited ahead in his training, to the point that he'd been pushed past her own progress. She received the same answer multiple times but refused to let up. Eventually, after pulling a lightsaber, that she had stolen from the locked weapon crate upstairs, on Ander, she was transferred to another wing of the Academy. Ander never saw her after that but Tremel urged him not to worry about her any further.

\---------------

"Wait," Malavai intervened, causing Ander to go quiet. "She stole a lightsaber, a weapon proven to kill an unskilled user, to threaten you?" Ander shook his head. "No, she wanted me dead. She was about to slice straight through me when Tremel pushed me out of the way. She ended up cutting off Tremel's hand like it was nothing."

"Oh my goodness! Is he alright? Did she ever get punished for such a thing?"

"Yeah… that's why she got moved. Not because she threatened me or _ tried _to kill me. Tremel got a robotic prosthetic the following year, so he's fine." Malavai was astonished but eventually let Ander continue.

\---------------

The first year felt horrible, Ander thought, as other acolytes grew bolder and would pester Ander to no end. Yet he never fought back and rarely let his emotions be known. As one encounter with a group of older acolytes had taught him that, the **hard** way.

The oldest of the friends, Bruutis, sucker-punched Ander in the gut so hard, he fell to his knees. Okraine, the middle brute, kicked him in the back, laughing as Ander gasped for air, groaning against the cold stone floor. Flint, the youngest, watched the hallway for trouble but looked back to snicker at Ander's pitiful face. "What's wrong, coward? Not gonna fight back? Or will you just cry again? Like a baby?" Bruutis laughed, smacking Okraine upside the head and heading for the door. "C'mon guys, let's head out. I think this little bitch learned a thing or two about _ feelings." _

\---------------

Ander sighed and looked at his hands on the table. Malavai grabbed them, wrapping his own around them and dragging his lord's attention. "You don't have to continue…" Ander looked at him with a somber expression he recognized, however, and knew that he _ needed _to continue. Malavai bit his tongue and signaled for his lord to continue.

"I didn't even go to the infirmary. I went straight to Uncle Harkun's class, waited for his students to leave, before approaching him."

\---------------

"Uncle…" Harkun looked Ander over, before quickly pulling him into the back room of his class. "Ander, what happened to you?!" Ander tried to answer him but as tears streamed from his eyes and his breathing became erratic, he found it hard to do anything but cry. Harkun looked furious. He spat and cursed the three boys' names. "Was it them?!" Ander nodded but continued to cry loudly. Harkun had observed the group of troublemakers closely as they began to sneer and joke about his nephew. He knew they were going to be trouble but couldn't touch them without a reason or proof. "Ander…" Harkun pulled Ander into a tight hug, all while spreading his hands out across his back to heal him with the Force. Ander felt the warmth surge through him and he quickly relaxed, feeling his tears stop and beginning to doze off. "You won't have to worry about them again, I swear. Just… rest for now." 

\---------------

"What happened to them, my lord?"

"Hmm? Oh, no idea, but I never saw them again." Malavai had a suspicion that the group was dealt with but no proof to back it up. Thus, Ander continued.

“Things got better after that. I even became friends with this girl. She was nice to me and kept the bullies at bay but she soon let her true intentions known.”

\---------------

“Hey, Ander.” She called for him across the room. His friend, Leta, was quite kind to him and obviously wanted to speak with him. Ander quickly made his way up to her, greeting her with a smile. “How did the exam go? Did you pass?” Ander nodded, showing her his score list. “Good, I’m glad I could help, but Ander,”

“Yes?” He looked at her, noticing a soft blush on her cheeks and shy smile on her lips. “You’re getting a lot of attention from the other girls lately. They say you’re perfect _ husband _ material.” Ander blushed and looked away from her, laughing nervously. “O-Oh. Really? I don’t think so-”

“Yes, in fact, I’d have to agree. You want to get together sometime? Maybe out of view of the Overseers?” Leta reached for Ander’s hand but he pulled away from her and backed away. “Sorry, Leta. I like you, I really do but only as a friend.” Leta looked shocked but she played it cool. “Oh, is there another girl you like?” Ander shook his head. “No, um, I don’t like girls, at all. I just… prefer men. Sorry, I have to go meet Overseer Harkun. See you later.” Ander left Leta behind, a shocked expression painted across her face and posture.

\---------------

“Oh my goodness, my lord. You could have been raped if you had gone with her.” Malavai felt sick and took hold of Ander’s arm, pulling his lord closer to him. Ander rested his head on the officer’s shoulder. “That’s what Uncle Harkun said too. He and Tremel questioned her about it but the conversation took place in an older part of the Academy, where there weren’t any cameras. So, naturally, she denied the claims but Uncle Harkun didn’t believe her for a second.”

“Of course he didn’t, my lord, you never lie. At least, not about something like that…”

“Yeah but that wasn’t the worst part…”

\---------------

Ander lowered the training saber, breathing in a deep breath before wiping his brow and walking over to the rack to return the weapon. As he took off the training armor, he heard someone enter the gym with him. It wasn’t particularly unusual, as the training gym was open all hours of the day for students but when he heard the person walk behind him and stop, it worried him. “Hey, you Ander?” Ander turned to look at the man behind him. “Yes? Why-” He didn’t get to see who it was before he was punched in the face. The man then grabbed Ander by the neck and pushed him up against the lockers. Only then, did he finally get a good look at his assailant. It was Ahnn, Leta’s older brother. Ander had met him once, when Leta had introduced them. “Ahnn? Why?” Ahnn didn’t answer immediately as he punched Ander again. This time, he went straight for the mouth. Ahnn’s knuckles and Ander’s lips began to bleed as his teeth shredded through both of them. Ahnn recoiled in disgust and dropped Ander, who still made no attempt to fight back. “This,” Ahnn signaled to his boot. “Is for rejecting my sister.” He kicked Ander, **hard**, knocking him back into the lockers. The banging from Ander’s back hitting the metal lockers alerted Harkun and the nearby Dark Honor guards. The Sith guards had gotten there first, restraining Ahnn and tending to Ander. “Weak, pathetic bitch. You’ll never be a great Sith!” The Dark Honor guard effortlessly restrained Ahnn against the floor as Harkun came upon the scene. He took one, evil glance at Ahnn which quickly silenced him. “Take him back to his dorm. I will deal with him later.” The Dark Honor guard nodded and left with Ahnn, while Harkun went over to Ander. Harkun dismissed the guard and helped Ander to his feet. “Did you fight back?”

“No-” Ander spat out a wad of blood that had been gathering in his mouth. Harkun winced but nodded. “Good. They won’t be able to claim you started it. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

“That’s why you never fought back. So you couldn’t be prosecuted.” Ander nodded slowly. "They later found Ahnn dead in his dorm. They suspected it was Leta who killed him but the surveillance footage from the hallway said otherwise." Malavai was furious but held it in as he gently held his lord in his arms. “Did anything happen after that?” Ander shook his head. “Baras happened to walk past the infirmary as I was getting patched up and mentioned how resilient and level-headed I was. He said if I survived that year he would be willing to take me on for an apprenticeship.”

“Yes…” Malavai said, trailing off to trail sweet kisses across Ander’s head. “I suppose Baras preferred someone who thought before they acted.” Ander nodded and sat up once more. “But if that’s what it took to meet you, then I’d willingly go through it all again.” Malavai blushed slightly and looked away. “My lord, be reasonable. What you went through was terrible and should never have happened.” Ander hummed placing a kiss on Malavai’s hand, causing the officer to blush more. “Alright, my lord, you’ve proven your love enough. Should we leave for lunch?” Ander laughed. “Avoiding me now, are we?”

“No, I just want to beat the rush.”

“Sure, you do.”

“Believe me or not, my lord. It hardly matters.” Malavai continued to blush as he and Ander left the apartment.


	4. Talking About Ourselves

“Hey, Malavai?” Ander asked, just having installed the automatic feeder and tested it out with Grophl. The grophet happily scarfed down his hard-earned food as his fathers worked hard on preparing their own food. “Yes, my lord?” Malavai replied, though not letting his eyes leave the simmering food so as to not let it burn. Ander took a seat at the already set table but turned his chair to face the officer. “Do you ever feel anxious?” Malavai faltered at the question, his hand slipping and almost touching the hot surface below the pan. Thankfully, he caught himself and avoided a second-degree burn. He recovered quickly, plating the hot food and turning off the stove before turning to his lord. “Why do you ask, my lord?” Malavai took the hot plates of food to the table, before sitting beside Ander. The young Sith shrugged and turned his chair around, looking at the food before him. “You just always seem so well put together and I just seem like a fucking mess, holding on for dear life.” Malavai snorted at Ander’s analogy of his own mental state, though he didn’t mean any offense. “My lord,” The officer chuckled. “You honestly think I’m _ not _ a ‘fucking mess’, as you put it?” Ander looked at him quizzically but nodded. “You’re always so calm and reserved. You never look stressed or upset. You always look so… perfect.” Malavai frowned and shook his head, ignoring his food for a moment to turn to Ander. “Perhaps not in public, but…” The officer paused, thinking of a simpler way to explain such a thing to his lord. He sighed, knowing the perfect example. “When you left for Umbara and didn’t return in the time you estimated…” Ander looked up at Malavai, his interest caught. “I knew something had happened. I knew something was wrong and there was **nothing** I could do. I stopped eating, shut myself in my room and refused to speak with anyone except for Heig. He even had to bring me meals and take care of Grophl for me. I was so distraught and filled with worry, I couldn’t do anything.” Ander frowned, realizing how much he had hurt his partner. Malavai recognized that self-loathing look his lord wore and quickly dismissed it. “It wasn’t your fault, my lord. You were having a terrible time, as well, and had no business worrying about me. Don’t feel like you could have made it any better because you came back and that’s all that mattered.”

“But…” Ander grit his teeth and clenched his fists. “No, that’s enough of that.” Malavai took Ander’s face into his hands, forcing him to look at him. “What’s done is done. You can’t change it.” He gave his lord a loving caress with his thumbs, before kissing him gently on the lips. Ander sighed into his touch, leaning into him as he wrapped his arms around him. “Just because you may not see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. You make me worry much more than you give yourself credit for, my lord.” Ander nodded, resting his head on Malavai’s shoulder. The officer lovingly ran his hands over Ander’s back, comforting him as well as himself. Being able to see, touch, and love his lord, comforted Malavai more than Ander would ever know. “Now,” Malavai paused, pulling Ander away to look him in the eyes. “You need to eat your breakfast so we can take Grophl on a walk.” Grophl barked excitedly and Ander nodded, smiling as he returned his attention to his food.

Grophl sniffed a potted plant, while Malavai waited nearby. Ander walked ahead a bit but stopped to wait for them. Just then, he felt his personal holoterminal, on his belt, rumble. A call was coming through, so he quickly answered it. _ "Ander?" _He recognized the voice before the visage even appeared. "Uncle Harkun? What's up?"

"Oh, good, you answered. Hey, I need a lift to Dromund Kaas. You think you could come pick me up?"

"Umm… Sure. Why though?" Malavai walked up to see Ander talking to the Overseer. He decided to hang back and remain quiet until he was finished. Harkun sighed, scratching his head. "I'm being forced to retire… immediately. Which means I'm technically homeless, so I'm going to rent a room at the hotel in the spaceport while I house hunt." Ander was stunned and quickly shot down his plans. "Uncle, why would you rent a room when I have a spare bedroom in my apartment?"

"Well… I didn't want to impose and you're married now…" Ander scoffed. "As if that matters. You're family, Uncle. If you need a place to stay, you can stay with us, right Malavai?" Malavai, indeed, was listening but wasn't expected to be pulled into the conversation. He nodded, yet didn't say anything. Ander smiled, looking back at his Uncle. "He agrees. I'll be there in a bit." Harkun huffed a breath, sighing in defeat but smiling regardless. "Thanks." Andre smiled, ending the call and turning to Malavai. The officer smiled up at him and nodded. "Go on, my lord. I'll get the room ready and clean the bathroom while you're gone."

"Thanks, love," Ander said somewhat jokingly, placing a kiss on Malavai's cheek before running off to the spaceport.

\--------------------

"Really, Ander, you don't have to get my stuff for me or let me stay at your place. I have money, so it's really not an issue." Ander stopped, putting down the crate of his uncle's things and turning to Harkun. "It's not about whether you have money or not. I just think it would be wrong of me to not offer you to stay with me. Especially after everything my sisters and I asked for when we stayed with you." Harkun sighed, watching Ander pick up the crate once more to place it in the Fury's cargo hold. "You don't have to pay me back for that. I knew what I was getting into when I made that promise." Harkun had a sorrowful undertone as he spoke. He missed his friend but couldn't deny the similarities he saw in Ander. _ They're so much alike… _ He thought, watching Ander get the ship ready for takeoff. _ Alex would have done the same, I think. _ Harkun smiled and took a seat in the spare pilot seat as the Fury took to the skies towards Dromund Kaas.

\--------------------

"Malavai! We're back!" Ander called, setting Harkun's things by the door. Grophl excitedly ran in, greeting his father before moving on to inspect Harkun. Meeting the old Sith for the first time, Ander was slightly worried but signaled for his uncle to relax. Grophl sniffed his boots for a moment then quickly began to rub his face against them. "Aww. He likes you." Ander chuckled, picking up the grophet and holding him in his arms. Just then, Malavai finally rounded the corner, entering the room. He bowed before Harkun, greeting. "Welcome back, my lords." Harkun winced slightly at Malavai's use of the title. "You can just call me Harkun… Since I don't have a title anymore." Malavai blinked but quickly caught up. "Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean to offend-" Ander interrupted the officer, placing a hand on his shoulder before moving his hand up to caress his cheek. Malavai went quiet, nodding slightly. Ander then looked back at Harkun. “Sorry, Uncle, but would you mind if Malavai used honorific titles with you? He gets really uncomfortable around Sith.” Harkun sadly glanced at the officer before nodding. “Is that why he doesn’t call you by your name?” Ander blushed at the question and pulled Malavai into him, hiding his face in his lover’s hair. “N-No… That’s because I can’t focus when he says my name.” Harkun rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh. _ Yeah, sure. That's totally not a coverup. _ He thought. “Alright,” He paused, looking at the young couple before moving to his crate of things. He opened it, grabbing his stack of clothes and closing it again. Ander finally released Malavai and shook away his embarrassment. “Malavai, will you show Uncle Harkun to his room while I put the crate up in the garage?”

“Of course, my lord.” Malavai turned to Harkun, bowed, and presented the doorway. “Right this way, my lord.” Harkun nodded, following Malavai upstairs.

“Hey, sorry for making you uncomfortable,” Harkun said though Malavai was slow to respond, his breath hitching in his throat. “It’s… fine.” Harkun felt even worse, wondering if he should have even agreed to come in the first place. Malavai stopped at the top of the staircase, turning back to the former Overseer. “It’s not something that could be avoided. My time in the military - serving the Sith - has come with some rather irreversible side effects on my psyche.” Harkun was slightly confused. “Wait, was it that bad?” Malavai was somewhat perturbed by his ignorance but gave him the benefit of the doubt. He sighed softly. “Watching your fellow crewmates be electrocuted and laughed at while they slowly die a painful death would traumatize anyone. Don't you agree?” Harkun’s gut twisted knots inside of him as he processed the atrocities listed to him. “What? No. That had to be a one-off. We _ always _ reprimanded acolytes for hurting Imperial soldiers.” Malavai looked at Harkun and after seeing the utter disbelief on his face, was somewhat reassured. “I mean, maybe, back in the day, because we strived for power over loyalty but that doesn't explain why **new** Sith would act that way... Unless…” Harkun’s eyes darkened and he frowned. Realizing that the Academy's past teachings would, of course, be remembered for decades. The former Overseer looked saddened by the thought and Malavai was relieved to see a softer side to the fearsome Overseer. He decided to change the subject and hopefully brighten the mood. “So,” Malavai started, leading the way once more to the guest bedroom. “You were _ forced _to retire… Why is that?” Harkun winced. The sound of his resignation sounded just as bad as he thought it did. Still, he would have done it all again. “I may have sent a few acolytes to their early graves…” Harkun said half-jokingly, expecting Malavai to be surprised by his confession but the officer simply looked at him with a knowing smile. “I knew you had something to do with my lord’s bullies.” Harkun laughed softly. He honestly didn't expect to be found out so soon. “He told you about that? Hmph, yeah, they’re all dead… except for one.” He snarled quietly, remembering the one that got away. “The girl?” Malavai asked. Harkun nodded, his glare intensifying. “She was picked up by someone before I could build a case against her. I don't remember who's apprentice she was but honestly, I don't care. As long as she stays the fuck away from Ander.” He sighed a ragged breath, entering the guest bedroom and setting his clothes on the bed. Harkun then turned back to Malavai. “Thanks for letting me stay with you guys.” Malavai nodded, smiling at the former Overseer. “Thank you for protecting Ander.” Harkun was surprised to hear him say it and Malavai just smiled, bowed and returned downstairs.

\----------------------

_ Ander, why is _ ** _that_ ** _ here? _ Ander looked up at the Holocron on the shelf, the one that Tenebrae was staring at. He frowned and walked over to it after putting up Harkun’s crate of stuff. “I didn’t want to leave it on Odessan.” Tenebrae looked hurt by his words. _ Why not? Why do you even have it? _ A fearful thought crossed the spirit’s mind. _ Do you feel bad for him? Are you planning to release him? _

"No! I would never release him!"

“Release who?” Malavai stepped into the garage. Ander frowned and motioned for Malavai to come closer, showing him the Holocron. “Tenebrae’s dad, Dramath, had his spirit trapped in this Holocron by Tenebrae - and just to reiterate - no, I don’t plan on releasing him. That’s why I brought it with me. To ensure no one else would either.” Tenebrae relaxed slightly until a familiar presence began to surround him. _ “Oh, please, as if I did anything to deserve such a fate.” _The deep voice boomed through the Holocron’s speakers. Malavai flinched and quickly ducked behind Ander, who huffed an annoyed sigh. “Obviously you did something bad enough to scar your son for life…”

_“A bastard child doesn’t deserve to be scarred, let alone exist. I had no part in his destructive actions.”_ Tenebrae was furious with his father's indifference but Ander simply rolled his eyes, waving off the rude remark. “See, that’s the exact same attitude that led to you being stuck in a box. Maybe if you weren’t such a bastard yourself, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.” A low groan was heard from the Holocron. Ander then looked to Tenebrae, who smiled at him. “What did he do anyway?” Tenebrae flinched at the question. Ander frowned and looked back to the glowing box. _“He…” _Tenebrae’s voice echoed through the Holocron’s speaker this time. It seemed to be easier to create whole sentences with it. _“He killed my mother.” _Deep laughter was heard and Tenebrae grew angry. _“He sent a care package to our house that was laced with poison. My mother insisted she try it before me and immediately told me to throw it away. She threw up blood all afternoon. I couldn’t do anything to help her…” _Ander saw Tenebrae’s form become extremely distorted. _“I had no choice but to end her suffering.” _Malavai suddenly came out from behind Ander and faced the Holocron. His eyes burned with a rage that was rarely seen from the officer. _"Please," _Dramath scoffed. _"She was already practically dead from starvation. I was doing her a favor-"_

"That's enough!" Malavai yelled, surprising Ander and Tenebrae. "You claim to hold no responsibility for his actions yet it was **you** who chose to bring him into this world. It was **your own** disregard for the consequences of your actions that led to his existence. You **always** had a _ choice _ but you ignored him until your inaction came back to haunt you. Now you claim to be a victim?! Heh," Malavai scoffed, glaring down at the glowing box. "Tenebrae was right to lock you away, for you deserve a fate worse than death." The officer turned to Ander, his face red from his rage-filled outburst. "My lord, I would suggest you _ lose _ that box somewhere. I don't want it in my house any longer." Ander nodded and Malavai left the room, leaving him to deal with it. Ander walked over to the garage door, lowering the force field and going back to grab the Holocron. _ "Wait, what are you doing? Stop. I demand it." _ Ander ignored Dramath and went back over to the open entrance, which overlooked the wild marsh of Dromund Kass. He pulled his arm back, priming the Force around the box in his hand, before launching the Holocron from his hand and throwing it far into the distance. Ander whistled as the box disappeared from sight, probably landing in a deep lake. Tenebrae smiled at the sight, wrapping his arms around Ander's neck, hugging him. _ Thanks, Ander. _

_ No problem. _

As Ander walked out of the garage, he heard Malavai talking to someone. Poking around the corner, Ander saw Malavai standing in front of the wall terminal at attention. "Yes, of course. I'll let him know-" Malavai glanced back at Ander before motioning him to approach. He walked in view of the terminal's camera and looked up at the visage in front of him. "Ah, Wrath. Nice to see you again." Vowrawn said in his usual cheery tone. The old Pureblood hadn't changed much but had opted for a hood, rather than not. His usual neat hair looked disheveled, even under the hood. He also looked very, _ very _tired. "Vowrawn," Ander greeted excitedly. "How have you been? What's with the hood?" Vowrawn glanced aside then back at him? "Well… since the incident with Baras, I've thought more and more about keeping my head down. You know how it goes." Ander frowned but a wild thought entered his mind, exciting him once more. "Oh! Have you heard? Baras is dead." Vowrawn lifted a brow at him, smiling once more. "Oh really? Well, I should hope so. After spending years with failing organs without medical attention." Ander pouted. That wasn't what he meant. "No, like someone killed him. Turns out, he survived all that time alone and even tried to come back for us." Vowrawn's smile faded and Ander quickly finished. "But that's not the best part! He was killed by my Captain here!" Ander pulled Malavai closer to him, showing him off to Vowrawn. That got the old Sith excited, a wide smile forming on his lips. "Really! That's quite a feat for a non-Force user! He did something even you couldn't do, Wrath. Are you sure Acina wanted your help?" Vowrawn roared with laughter as Ander nervously chuckled, hiding his embarrassment. "Oh… Sorry, Wrath, but that was the first good laugh I've had in awhile."

"Glad I could help."

"But no seriously. What killed him?" Ander looked around nervously and glanced back at Malavai for a second. The officer slightly shook his head and Ander immediately returned his gaze to Vowrawn. "Um, starvation… probably." Ander whispered. Vowrawn wasn't convinced but decided to drop the subject. "Well," Vowrawn started. "As I was telling your Captain, Acina gave me permission to request your aid on a few essential objectives to our mission in taking down the Republic. I won't bore you with the details right now, but I will send over the coordinates to your ship." Ander looked surprised and came to stand in front of Malavai. "Oh, well, when should I be expected."

"As soon as possible. Good day, Wrath." Vowrawn ended the call suddenly, leaving Ander with a feeling of disappointment. _ You knew it was going to be like this… _ Tenebrae whispered. _ Yeah, yeah but so soon? _ Ander received a feeling from the spirit that saddened him. Of course, the Empire and Republic would seek each other's destruction as soon as they were able.

"My lord." Ander looked up at Malavai, who had moved to stand in front of him. "I'll inform your uncle of what just transpired and ask him to take care of Grophl for us."

"We can't ask that of him-"

"My lord." Malavai interrupted, giving him a serious look. "He is staying in our house, free of charge. I'm sure he'd be willing if he's truly thankful." Ander sighed, nodding slowly. "Get our things ready while I'm upstairs; I'll be down to help you soon." As Malavai walked away, Ander smiled slightly and called after him. "I like it when you give _ me _orders... It's sexy." Malavai stopped dead in his tracks, blush creeping up his face and turning his ears red. He turned his head slightly to speak, though Ander still couldn't see his face. "I hope you refrain from such comments in public, my lord." He said quietly. "Of course, Malavai." Ander smiled, letting the officer hurry off up the stairs. He chuckled quietly to himself as he made his way into the garage to get their things together.

Harkun was more than willing to look after the grophet and Grophl was far less dramatic this time around, simply opting for good-bye kisses. Ander and Malavai were sad to leave but ignoring the Empress' summons was not an option.


	5. Claiming Onderon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **SPOILERS FOR NEWER CONTENT** If you haven't played through the new crap, don't read this. Even though it has been through the AU wash, it still has spoilers. You have been warned.
> 
> Ander and Malavai have a quick adventure, helping the Empire, spending way too much money, but ultimately have a lot fun together. (Not a real summary)

Onderon, a temperate desert planet with beautiful fauna and picture-perfect landscape, at least, that's what the brochure said. Malavai groaned as he landed the ship on the landing dock. Ander glanced at him, wondering what was wrong. "Oh!" Ander said, getting up from the captain's helm. "I forgot you hate desert planets." He chuckled softly, brushing over his husband's shoulder. Malavai huffed and got up from his seat, making his way to the door. "I don't hate them… My complexion is just far too fair for this kind of heat." Ander hummed, following him out. "Did you pack some sunblock?"

"Of course, my lord. I don't wish to burn." Ander smiled, placing a kiss on Malavai's head before taking the lead. "Vowrawn will be meeting us inside. Get your visor on."

"Already have, my lord." As they made their way off the ship, one of the dockworkers caught Malavai's attention as he seemed to be coughing straight in their direction. The officer sneered and pushed Ander forward before turning back to the man. Ander glanced back, watching as Malavai yelled at the poor guy. The dockworker apologized, coughing up his guts into his elbow this time, before retreating off to the nearest clinic. Satisfied with the outcome, Malavai was back at Ander's side in no time. "Did you have to yell at him?" Ander asked, opening the door for them. "Of course. I can't have you getting sick in the middle of a war." He couldn't really argue against that fact and continued forward, meeting Vowrawn inside.

"Wrath!" Vowrawn laughed, patting Ander on the back as he pulled him ahead of Malavai. The officer didn't mind and knew it would have happened eventually, yet he was still somewhat disappointed. "So glad you could make it. I have a surprise for you…"

"Like a present?"

"Better." Vowrawn led them to a large room where he presented a couple of people he was not expecting to see. Ander narrowed his eyes in on the twin girls chatting amongst themselves as he walked him. He made a sound that resembled a surprised choke and the girls immediately turned to him. "What?" He said beneath his breath, ignoring Arcann who stood just behind them. The young prince inched away from the girls and made his way to Malavai who greeted him quietly. "What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking?" Arcann shook his head. "Jaesa wanted to make sure they got here safely. I'll be leaving on the next shuttle out."

The twins cowered before their older brother. "Why the fuck are you here? I thought I said to stay out of this?!" Alessin raised her finger to object but Ander's glare intensified, causing her to hesitate. "You'd think, for once, you might actually listen to me! Did Acina pull you into this? Is that it?!" Aria finally piped up, defending her and her sister. "We wanted to come back! If we didn't, our power base would have been dissolved!" Alessin agreed, finally standing up for herself. "Yeah, you saw how quickly Acina picked up Malavai. We didn't want the same to happen to Pyron." Ander growled, rubbing his temple as he began to calm down. "Fine…"

_ Attention citizens! _ An automated voice rang over the intercom, causing everyone to go still. _ All outbound shuttles have been canceled due to the Republic blockade. Please be patient as officials are working on a bargain to dissolve the blockade. _Arcann huffed and furrowed his brow. Ander finally noticed him and turned to face him. "Arcann…" The prince looked surprised by his sudden attention, searching for the exit. "You can stay on my ship if you want. It's just down the hall and out the door. Malavai, could you let him?"

"Of course, my lord." Malavai signaled Arcann to follow, leaving the room. The young prince was slightly confused, fidgeting as he walked silently behind the officer. Malavai chuckled softly, glancing back at him. "You thought he was going to yell at you too?" Arcann nodded. "He cares far too much, but he knew you wouldn't stay. Either he heard you or he figured you'd be eager to return to Ms. Willsaam's side." Arcann nodded again, blushing slightly. Malavai opened up the Fury's loading dock, unlocking the door and letting Arcann inside. "There's some food in the fridge in the storage room and feel free to use our room if you're tired." Arcann nodded, thanking Malavai silently as he stepped inside. The officer sighed, wiping his forehead as sweat rolled down. Arcann sensed his displeasure and turned back to him. "Are you feeling alright?" Malavai nodded smiling at him before noticing his new outfit and prosthetic arm. "Yes, I'm just susceptible to the heat. Oh, you got a new arm. It looks good." Arcann glanced down at him, smiling slightly. "Jaesa didn't like it when I said I was ashamed of it. The old arm reminded me too much of my mistakes and of how much of a tyrant I was." Malavai frowned, nodding slowly. "Yet, this new arm is… comforting somehow. It's hard to explain." Arcann said, presenting the prosthetic. It was a metallic white, in color, and was modeled to look more organic. Malavai was intrigued and marveled by the tech but quickly noticed how well it blended into the rest of Arcann's gear. Before he kept both of his arms sleeved and still the prosthetic arm stood out like a sore thumb. Now, it was gracefully shielded by a white and gold cloak that draped off his shoulder. It wasn't being covered up but rather drawing your eyes to something new. The intricate "Z" spread out across the fabric was, no doubt, a reference to Zakuul. "Very impressive, Arcann." Malavai smiled softly at him. "Well, I better return to my lord. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you." Malavai left the landing pad, making his way back to where he had seen Ander last. However, halfway down the hall, he heard Ander's voice coming from a different room. He decided it best to stand and wait for him outside.

As he waited, Malavai couldn't help but feel a little dizzy as his forehead and cheeks began to flush. He couldn't explain the cause of such a feeling but decided to go ahead and take a fever suppressant, just in case. A moment later, he was feeling better and surprised to see the doors open to reveal his lord. Ander was relieved to see him as his smile stretched across his face. "Malavai, I'm so glad you're back." Ander paused, waiting to be out of earshot of anyone important. Malavai followed him closely. "The King of Onderon is a giant weasel in disguise. Like, he's so shrewd and inappropriate. He tried to flirt with my sisters." Malavai scowled at the thought. "Exactly!" Ander rushed out of the building, stepping into the open-air courtyard. He turned to face Malavai, who frowned as the sun scorched his exposed skin. Ander lifted his arm, covering the officer in the much-appreciated shade. "Thank you, my lord. I may have to reapply my sunblock. I've been sweating far too much for it to stay on." Ander tilted his head, his face filled with concern. "Are you okay? It's really not that hot and there's a nice breeze blowing…" Malavai shook his head, dismissing his lord's worries. "I'm fine, my lord." Ander wasn't convinced as his frown deepened. "Malavai, your face is bright red and we've barely been outside."

"Well-"

"Don't." Malavai went silent as Ander continued. "You're sick and you can't convince me otherwise. You weren't like this on Tatooine." Malavai sighed his frustrations but didn't argue with his lord. "I already took a fever suppressant. I'm sure it's nothing and I feel fine."

"You don't _ look _ fine."

"I have extra pills on my person in case it gets any worse. You don't have to worry about a little fever, my lord." Ander frowned but sighed in defeat. "Okay, but if it gets really bad, promise you'll see a doctor?"

"Of course, my lord." Ander smiled, leading the stubborn officer to a shaded bench where he could reapply his sunblock before leaving for the wild jungles of Onderon.

\---------------------------

Malavai huffed an exhausted breath as he watched Ander light the signal fires. His fever was steadily getting worse but he had already consumed the max daily dosage. He was also starting to feel nauseous and the pills had little effect. Still, he hid his symptoms as best he could, as no doubt, Ander would abandon the mission just to tend to him.

Ander turned back, waiting for Malavai to catch up. The officer hurried to his side, cautiously entering the ominous temple that had been carved into the cliff. "I'm surprised." A deep voice echoed from the darkness as they stepped inside. A few more steps in, several braziers suddenly lit before them, halting their advance. Ander looked straight ahead, noting several buff men and women with staves and spears standing on either side of a much larger man sitting on a stone throne. "And impressed." The man, on the throne, raised his hand and signaled them to approach. "I didn't expect outsiders to respect our ways but _ you _ did. So, why don't you tell me why you're here?" Ander nodded, bowing before the man. "The King of Onderon has requested your help in securing the capital." The man scowled. "Why do you think I, Brutann the Beast King, would care about that pompous asshole's civil war?" Ander pondered on the question for a moment. "Well, obviously you care enough to hate him." Brutann raised a brow at Ander, listening intently at what he had to say. "But he hasn't made a move to get rid of you guys and let you live out your lives." Brutann scoffed, laughing loudly. "He's tried but his men are weak and cowards. They wouldn't dare step foot in our lands."

"Even so. If he doesn't get back control of the capital, it's likely to assume the citizens will ask the Jedi for help in getting rid of you. They might not kill you, but they will disrupt your way of life." Brutann huffed. "This sounds like Sith propaganda." Ander nodded slightly. "Yeah, it kind of does but I've worked with Jedi in the past and I know, from experience, that they love uprooting natives who just want to be left alone. If you don't conform to their way of thinking, then you're better off dead or miserable." Brutann smiled. "And Sith aren't the same?"

"I'm not. I promise that once the battle is over, I'll convince my superiors to leave you alone." Ander waited patiently for Brutann's response as the Beast King stared silently at him. An exhausted sigh, surprised Ander and caught his attention. "Fine but as a final test, you'll prove your strength by killing my most trusted beast." A roar boomed as a giant cat jumped down from the rafters above, stopping before them. Ander looked at the beast sadly, turning to look at Brutann in the hopes of avoiding a fight. "I don't like to fight with weaklings."

"Wait, why would you want me to kill your partner?" Brutann signaled the beast to delay its attack, letting Ander continue. "You said this is your most _ trusted _ beast. Surely a bond like that must take a lifetime to forge, why would you let a stranger end that?" Brutann smiled, surprised again by Ander's actions and words. He made a cooing sound and the giant cat relaxed its shoulders, purring loudly as it rubbed its nose against the Sith's back. Ander smiled, turning to pet the beast and receive a giant, wet kiss from it. Brutann smiled as the Sith accepted his pet's affection but soon focused his attention on Malavai. "You understand what having a bond is like… but your friend…" Ander immediately turned to Malavai, barely catching him before he fell to the floor. "Malavai?! Dammit, I knew you were sick." Malavai was barely conscious as Ander held him in his arms. Brutann stood from his seat and made his way down to Ander's side. "Sick, you say? How sick?" Ander panicked but calmed down when Brutann squeezed his shoulder, urging him to answer the question. "I-I don't know. He said he was getting a fever and was sweating really bad." Brutann looked at Malavai, noting his short hot breaths and bright red cheeks. "Did he look nauseous ever? Or dizzy?"

"Yes? I don't really know… He hates it when I fuss over him." Brutann frowned, walking back to his throne, setting down a mortar and pestle on the armrest and crushing up some fresh herbs from the pouch on his belt. "It's probably an airborne virus that's been going around the planet. It's also native to Onderon and is very hard to get rid of without immediate medication." Ander looked up at him, fear consuming all the light his smile once held. Brutann poured the fresh juice into a small vial and handed it to Ander. "Make him drink this. It won't cure him but it'll give you enough time to get him to a doctor." Ander nodded, pouring the liquid into his own mouth before locking lips with Malavai and forcing him to consume the concoction. Brutann stepped back slightly, surprised by Ander's eagerness. The young Sith expunged the last of the medicine from his mouth and parted from his husband's mouth, recoiling in disgust. "Ugh! That shit was nasty." Brutann nodded, chuckling softly as he watched Ander carry Malavai out of the cave and back to town.

  
  


As Ander entered the city gates, he asked the nearest civilian where the doctor was before Force jumping the rest of the way. Ander busted the door open, scaring the shit out of the doctor. "Shit!" The man shouted, warily looking at Ander before noticing the unconscious officer in his arms. The doctor glanced around his tiny office and quickly cleared off a table. "Lay him here. What caused this?" Ander gently laid Malavai down, caressing his cheek tenderly as he looked away to answer him. "It's an airborne virus, native to Onderon." The doctor's eyes widened, rushing to his desk, he pulled out several vials and an injector. He returned to Malavai's side, stabbing the injector into his shoulder. Ander waited a moment before panic returned to him. "Why-"

"It won't be instantaneous." The doctor clarified, carefully putting away his tools. "He'll have to fight alongside the serum. Nasty disease he's got. Killed my last assistant in three days. Poor sod didn't know what he had before it was too late. How long has he had it?"

"A few hours, maybe, no more than four." The doctor nodded. "Good. He should survive this then, but he'll need to stay here till he wakes. Can you or someone else stay with him?" Ander mulled it over before quickly calling his ship. Arcann answered quickly. "Arcann. Malavai's really sick and can't be moved until he wakes up. Could you-"

"Say no more. I'll watch over him until you return." Ander smiled, ending the call and turning to the doctor. "What do I owe you?" The doctor shifted nervously. "Four… hundred thousand credits…" He shut his eyes, fully expecting to be killed but instead hears a small ping and finally looks up at Ander. "Done. Thank you for saving my husband." Ander smiled down at the doctor and left the office once Arcann arrived.

  
  


**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

  
  


As Malavai slowly regained his consciousness, he couldn’t help but overhear voices in the background. “So, um, you’re actually Arcann?” There was an awkward pause. “Yes…” Arcann said quietly. “And… how do you know the Sith?” Arcann hummed for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “He _ saved _ me and accepted me with open arms.” The doctor nodded, turning back to his work station. Malavai groaned, opening his eyes and blinking away the blur of his slumber. Arcann looked down at him and stood from his seat, giving him some room. “Where?” Malavai asked, sitting up rather fast. Arcann placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to slow his rise. “Easy, you’re still recovering from your illness.”

“Yes, you might be conscious but you should still take it easy. Avoid operating heavy machinery for the next four hours.” Malavai nodded but paid the man no further mind and instead focused on Arcann. “Where’s my lord?”

“He’s fighting to reclaim the capital as we speak.” Malavai cursed beneath his breath. "I should be there, next to him. What was this _ illness _ anyway? Influenza?" Arcann shrugged his shoulders but the doctor piped up. "Ah, yes. A special strand of Influenza that evolved on Onderon when it was brought here for the first time." Malavai nodded, he had suspected it but wasn't able to come to that conclusion due to his fever clouding his thought process. "How much did my lord pay for this treatment?" The doctor made a wicked smile that made Malavai's skin crawl. He showed the pay stub and the officer was suddenly filled with rage. "That much for steroids?! You've got to be kidding me! How could he possibly fall for such an underhanded trick?!" The doctor hummed, twirling around in his chair. "I may have built up the situation to be worse than it actually was."

"You bastard-" Arcann pulled Malavai out of the building before he could do any harm to the man. "What-" Malavai pulled himself from Arcann's grasp and turned to face him. "Don't tell me you are just going to let him get away with this highway robbery!" Arcann sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter how much he paid. Ander was really worried about you. He said you fainted and were unresponsive." Malavai's eyes went wide and his shoulders dropped. "Oh, goodness… He really said that?" Arcann nodded. "I suppose that would have scared him half to death." Malavai sighed, wondering how much stress he must have caused to his lord. Arcann shook the officer's worries from him with a slight tap on his shoulder. He looked up at the young prince. "He's on his way."

"How do you know?" Arcann pointed over his own shoulder. Malavai squinted as he gazed off in that general direction and, sure enough, in the distance was his lord, Force jumping his way towards them. Arcann stepped to the side as Ander crashed down on top of where he was just standing. Malavai wasn't able to get a word out before Ander wrapped him up in a tight bear hug, lifting him off the ground. He twirled the officer around a few times before setting him down.

"Malavai!" Ander smiled brightly. "You're all better; I'm so glad!" He pulled Malavai in for another hug but left his feet on the ground this time. "Yes, my lord…" Malavai returned his lord's hug. "Though it was only the flu… No need to presume me dead without immediate attention…" Ander pulled from the hug and glared at him, his bottom lip pouting slightly. "The flu has _ killed _ people before."

"Well… yes…"

"Also, you **fainted **in my arms. I think I was justified." Malavai nodded slowly, no longer able to share Ander's gaze. Ander figured he won the battle and smugly turned to Arcann. "So, the Republic is already retreating. Do you want a ride back to Odessan?" Arcann shook his head. "I'll be alright on the shuttle. Take care." Arcann waved goodbye as he made his way to the spaceport.

Ander waved back before returning his attention to Malavai. The officer couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that had washed over him, nor could he ignore the fact that his lord was, indeed, upset with him. "I was really worried about you, you know?" Malavai nodded, still not looking up at him directly. "Were you distracted, my lord?" Ander sighed, nodding slightly. "But I tried not to let it get to me. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Malavai felt a tinge of pain resonate through his chest. _ "I tried not to let it get to me _ . _ " _ That hurt more than anything else. If, by some fluke, Ander had gotten hurt because he was too busy worrying about him; he could never forgive himself. He had to be more resilient, more cautious - for his lord. Ander could sense the unease in Malavai's heart and pulled him close once more. Breathing into the officer's hair, Ander whispered to him. "Let's go. You're okay; I'm okay; we're together." Malavai nodded and finally looked up at Ander, who smiled down at him. The soft, bright smile that he had longed to find so many times before. Ander took Malavai by the hand and led him through the twisting alleys back to their ship. The walk back was quiet which worried Ander but he knew how to bring down the officer's walls, though it would be best if they were first in a private place.

Once past the Fury's ship doors, Ander pulled Malavai, a bit more forceful than he intended, to face him. The officer looked concerned but didn't receive the answer he expected from his lord, as Ander pushed himself onto Malavai. Pressing their faces together and locking lips, Ander pulled Malavai into a desperately deep and furious kiss. At first, it was Ander showing the most want but the officer quickly proved he wasn't alone. Malavai stretched his arms up to grasp him but with Ander still in his power armor, meant that his hands only reached the base of his shoulders. Still, he clung to his lord as though his very life depended on it, as their kiss deepened. Ander quickly remedied the height difference, without breaking away from his lover's mouth, by scooping Malavai up and pinning him against the wall. The officer gasped but quickly relaxed again, his hips coming to land upon Ander's and his crotch grinding against the suit's hard, cold metal plates. A soft moan reverberated from his throat, causing both parties to blush and shudder. Finally, Ander broke the kiss, gasping for more. "Let's take this elsewhere." He hushed against Malavai's trembling form. The officer had never felt as in danger as he did just then, trembling and gasping for what was to follow. Yet, he still had enough mind to refuse. Malavai shook his head. "We should move on to our next target, my lord." Ander made a low growl, picking up the officer and carrying him back to the bedroom. He threw Malavai on the bed and locked the door behind him. "We aren't needed right now. Vowrawn said it would be a couple weeks until the next stage in the plan. So, " Ander paused, getting out of his power armor before getting on the bed to loom over his husband. "Will you join me in some _ recreation _ ?" Malavai thrusted his arms out, grabbing Ander's shirt and pulling him down onto him. The kiss that followed was wet, sloppy, **primal**. Ander forced his tongue into Malavai's mouth, causing him to moan loudly. The hot breath they shared, the ferocity in their grips on one another, it was driving Ander insane. He needed order for him to fully enjoy it all.

"Command me." The request came suddenly as Ander broke off and looked at him with hungry eyes. "What?" Malavai almost thought he heard him wrong, but as Ander repeated himself, he was found to be even more confused. "Why? What's gotten over you, my lord?" Ander suckled on his collarbone a bit and looked up at him. "It turns me on." Malavai mentally cursed himself. He had unjustly stolen this precious man's innocence and tainted him with his impure thoughts. And yet… somehow, he wouldn't have it any other way. Malavai swallowed hard, licking his lips. "Strip." The command felt so dirty coming from him, but Ander did as he was told. Pulling his shirt off in full view of the officer, his ripped torso glowed nicely in the dim room. His skin was already beginning to slicken with sweat, allowing the room's red light to outline his perfection. Ander got up off the bed, only to remove his pants and underwear, his dick already half hard. He quickly returned to Malavai's side and obediently laid where he was told. The officer lovingly ran his fingers through Ander's crimson hair until he reached his nape, violently thrusting him into his crotch. His young husband moaned, gasping into his hips. Malavai blushed deeply. He could hardly believe what was happening but this was all helpful information. Knowing the right pleasure points was an essential key to their lovemaking but knowing his lord was a sub, expanded the possibilities. "Lick it." Ander hesitated but Malavai pressed his fingertips into his neck, ordering him without words. He stuck his tongue out, pressing it against the length of Malavai's clothed cock. Rubbing against the edges, he mapped out the entirety of its ever-growing hardness. Ander traveled up and down his hardening shaft before landing on the head, suckling it with his whole mouth. Malavai breathed a sharp moan, his hand tightening its grip on his lord's hair. Ander whimpered from the ting of pain that radiated from his head. Worried, Malavai looked down to check on him but a quick glance at Ander's cock told him he enjoyed it. "More…" Ander whined, his eyes threatening tears. "Just… be gentle." Malavai knew what he was gesturing to and smiled wickedly. Lifting Ander's chin to wantingly gaze into his eyes, he whispered. "Actually, _ my lord _ , it is you that will have to be gentle." Ander looked surprised but Malavai's gentle hands pulled him into a tender kiss before continuing. "I'll tell you how, all you have to do is follow my _ instructions _ ." Ander nodded, his eyes telling just how ready he was. “Undress me.” Malavai glanced down to his moistened crotch, signaling his lord to start there. Ander seemed nervous, his hands shaking while he unclipped Malavai’s belt but he quickly became more sure as he slid the fabric off in one swift motion. He thought about reaching for his underpants too, but stopped, looking for confirmation. A small nod was all that was needed for Ander to hastily remove the article of clothing from his lover’s body. A second later and Malavai was completely naked. He decided to undress his top half himself, saving Ander some trouble and possibly save him from a euphoric nose bleed. The Sith towering above him looked so ready but Malavai decided to tease him a bit. “Come, kiss me.” Ander fell down atop Malavai, his tongue lapping at the corners of his mouth, begging to be let in. The officer allowed it but only so he could be properly distracted for him to tilt his hips upwards into his lord’s. Ander moaned into the kiss and tried to pull away but a strong arm around his neck told him to stay still. The Sith shuddered with anticipation as Malavai continued to rub their crotches together. Eventually, his free hand managed to find their cocks and rub them together. He parted for just a moment to issue another command. “Give me your hand. Jerk us off, together.” Malavai pulled him back into a deep kiss, once more, his lord’s hand eagerly sliding up and down both of their cocks. Finally, he was able to use his hands to torment Ander just a little bit more. Twisting his hard nipples made the young Sith yelp and writhe above him. It was so adorable. Eventually, Malavai ended the kiss and swatted Ander’s hand from their rock hard, dripping cocks. “Alright, my lord. Use that hand to finger my ass. Go slow and use one finger first.” Ander barely registered what he actually said but managed to figure it out. Sliding a slick finger into his husband’s ass, Ander groaned at the sight of Malavai enjoying his ass being played with. “That’s it. Go in and out slowly.” Ander watched as his long slender finger disappeared inside his ass and couldn’t wait for it to be his cock. Feeling the inside of his lover's ass felt amazing, as his insides squeezed his index finger with every slight movement. Soon, however, it became easier to move and, feeling a little zealous, Ander bent his finger, poking around the tense muscles. Malavai moaned loudly and sharpened his sights on his lord. “Hmm. Well. Having fun are we? Put in another.” Ander quickly obliged, inserting his middle finger into the mix. The gasp that followed excited him to no end, pushing the duo in sharply to release another moan of pleasure. “That’s it. Now spread them. You have to open me up slowly, otherwise it will be very painful for me.” Ander heard that last bit and suddenly became very thorough. Stretching the opening with his fingers, he then carefully used the Force to gently stretch his insides. Malavai gasped, the feeling was overwhelming as he was sure there was no way Ander could do that with his hands. Still, the feeling wasn’t painful and Malavai felt he was better prepared because of it. “That’s enough. You can enter me now. Go ahead. I want to see what you do _ without _ further instruction.”

Ander swallowed hard, he hadn’t thought of what to do should he not be told, so he tried to remember how Malavai had done it to him. He lifted his legs, lined up his cock to the tight hole and carefully pressed his cock into the officer. A sharp gasp escaped from both of them. Malavai’s tight ass squeezing down on Ander’s fat, hard cock almost brought them both to their limit. “Oh, my lord. Shit. You’re so much bigger than I originally thought.” Ander held his tongue until he was able to fully sheath himself into his husband. Malavai reached for Ander’s shoulders, pulling him down into a deep kiss as his ass twitched around his lord’s cock. His cock was so thick, he predicted he wouldn’t have much trouble hitting his prostate. “My lord. Tilt your cock up. It’ll make me feel great. Please.” Pulling out slightly, Ander took his advice and shifted his cock to hit the roof of his insides. Malavai screamed, still holding onto his lord for dear life as his first internal orgasm washed over him. His dick squirted a small amount of cum onto his stomach and Ander didn't stop to think as he scooped the sticky liquid onto his fingers and licked it off. Malavai watched with a hunger he didn't know he had as Ander cleaned the rest of his cum off of him. “Fuck me. Now.” Ander was more than ready, pulling his cock all the way out, only to quickly thrust it back in. Malavai moaned loudly, he had to admit he liked his lord’s rough style and grasped for his back, clawing at it as he was rammed into. _ Or perhaps he is a dom? Either way, he is perfect. _Malavai thought, following the last, ragged thrust Ander could manage before pulling out and cumming onto him. Of course, Ander being new to the position, meant his stamina wasn't as good as when it was the other way around. Though that hardly mattered, as Malavai pulled his exhausted husband into a deep kiss.

"You did well, my lord, but you might need some endurance training," Malavai whispered, pulling away to let Ander flop on top of him. "Sorry…" He huffed, gasping for air as he rolled off of Malavai. The officer chuckled softly, turning to look at Ander, who looked completely drained. "It's quite the workout, wouldn't you say?" Ander nodded slowly, turning his head to look at him. "How do you last so long?" Malavai scoffed sarcastically, wondering how himself. "I guess I just want to please you so completely I ignore my own exhaustion." Ander frowned at his answer, puffing his cheeks. "You shouldn't push yourself." Malavai smiled, reaching forward to kiss his lord. "Compared to you, my lord, I hardly do." Ander crinkled his face, pouting at his husband. Yet, he couldn't disprove his statement. "Whatever." Ander grabbed a towel with the Force, flinging it to Malavai, who grabbed it before it could hit him. The officer laughed, wiping himself off. "You know, we will have to take a shower still… And leave the planet." Ander jumped up suddenly, quickly looking to Malavai with a face filled with panic and confusion. If Malavai could read his mind, he would definitely be asking: _ "Wait, you let me get naked before taking the ship out of orbit?!?" _ Deciding to take a gamble, Malavai replied. "Yes, my lord." Ander went silent and wide-eyed, before quickly putting on his pants and running to the ship's controls. A moment later, the ship roared to life and zoomed out of orbit. Malavai smiled as Ander rushed back into the room and slumped against the edge of the bed. "I know you're tired, my lord, but I, unfortunately, won't be able to make it to the shower on my own…" He hated to sound so helpless, but Malavai could hardly feel his own legs and would definitely need help. Ander sighed but didn't complain as he helped his husband over to the shower as the Fury began its automated journey back to Dromund Kaas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the short sex scene but like Ander, I too am tired of the Sith always mounting Quinn like a sex-crazed poodle. Quinn deserves to be a dominate top and bottom. His personality, despite being always ready to serve, says he makes the rules in bed. This sex scene was a god damn statement!


	6. Short Lived Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter... It was going to be longer but it felt like it went on and on about uninteresting things and just went over things already said earlier in the chapter. This one will just be a short segway into the rest of Onslaught with minor changes to the Corellia segment and overall changes to the "true" reason as to why you need to care about Onslaught. (In other words, I will be deleting the "underlying garbage fest". So there won't be any spoilers for people who might care about it.) :)

"Grophl!" The grophet excitedly jumped into his father's arms, snorting with glee for their safe return. Harkun smiled down at the fat pup's excitement towards the officer and moved on to Ander, who was exiting his power armor. "Back so soon? You sure work fast, Ander. Good job." Ander scoffed, laughing softly. "My sisters were there too, so it was a quick battle. Alessin finally mastered that Chain Lightning technique you were teaching her." Harkun looked pleased, crossing his arms and smiling. "Oh, yes, I suspect she killed quite a few with that one. Are they well?" Ander nodded, quickly showing him a group photo they took before the battle. Harkun laughed at the annoyed expression on Ander's face. "Still hate having your picture taken?" Ander shrugged. "Only when I'm being forced." Harkun snickered. "Yes, I know, you're such a doofus."

"Am not!" Ander pouted. "Don't pout my lord, it looks bad in front of Grophl." Ander sighed but smiled at the fat pup in his officer's arms. He squished the grophet's face with his hands, the wrinkles blocking the pup's vision. Grophl whined but Ander gave him a quick kiss before releasing him. Grophl snorted and licked the air, towards Ander. "Love you too, boy." Malavai smiled and kissed Ander on the lips before turning to Harkun. "Thank you for taking care of him, sir." Harkun shrugged, scratching his head. "It's fine but I'm confused why Acina would only call you to take care of small things. Why not send you guys to the front lines?" Ander sighed. "I'm sure she'd send us there eventually but…"

_"It would be a fool's game," _Tenebrae called from the wall terminal, which had much better speakers than Ander's personal holoterminal. _"She has seen what Ander can do under too much pressure. If she isn't careful, he could destroy everything she has worked for." _Harkun scoffed and looked warily at the spectral entity next to his nephew. "Ander? Really? Surely you know he's Light Side?" Tenebrae scowled at him. _"I chose Ander to become my wrath and vessel because he was _**_powerful_**_. Acina would be a fucking idiot to throw Ander into all-out war."_

"Okay, Tenebrae, calm down. It's okay." Ander said, signaling him to back down but Harkun pushed even further. "Powerful? Yeah, right. No offense, Ander, but you really aren't that strong."

"None taken…" Ander sighed and Tenebrae snapped. _ "Are you blind?! Who do you think killed me? Ander crushed me, with the Force, to _ ** _death_ ** _ ." _ Harkun raised a brow and looked to Ander. Malavai was also astonished and looked to his lord. Ander looked… sad, but not traumatized, which would have been the case if he remembered it. _ "Don't blame him. He doesn't remember it." _ Tenebrae paused, clenching his fists. _ "It was my fault anyway. I pushed him too far. I said some things that I shouldn't have. So, he killed me. It was only fair." _

"Shit," Harkun said beneath his breath. Ander flinched and Grophl could sense his distress. Crying and whining, the pup wiggled his way out of Malavai's grasp and onto the floor, where he pawed at Ander's leg. Ander looked down at him and, sighing, picked him up to hold him. "I'm sorry." Ander hushly said, bringing Grophl up to his face. Tenebrae looked sadly at his friend, realizing how much he must have hurt him. Quietly, he retreated to Ander's mind, having said far too much. Ander's anxiety told him know his happy life was over. As soon as the silence was gone, he'd have nothing left. Yet, Malavai brushed it all away, placing a comforting hand on Ander's shoulder and encouraging him to face him. "I don't care what happened before. I can see your distress, my lord, but you have nothing to fear. I love you." Ander's body trembled with fear and anxiety as Malavai took him into his arms. The officer hushed his lover's fear and quelled his trembling. Harkun sighed and left the room, returning to his own.

\----------------------

"My lord, are you all right?" Ander shook his head, still trembling from what happened earlier. Malavai frowned and pulled him closer. "What can I do for you?" Ander sighed, relaxing into Malavai's chest. "Just... stay here." He pleaded, grabbing hold of the officer's chest. Malavai nodded and pulled Ander back with him, laying themselves onto the bed. "I'm sorry…" He had said it twenty-four times since they moved to the bedroom and it made Malavai worried. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my lord." Ander shook his head as he pressed into the officer's chest, tears beginning to stream from his eyes. "I'm sorry I'm so weak, physically and emotionally. I'm sorry for all the trouble and discourse I've put you through…" Ander cried loudly into Malavai's chest. The officer sighed, running his fingers through his lord's hair. "My lord…" He paused, moving Ander to look up at him. "I would willingly and _ gladly _go through everything again for you. You have been a constant light in my life and I have loved you unconditionally and will continue to do so." Ander glanced sadly away but soon returned to share Malavai's gaze again. "I love you too." Malavai smiled, thankful that it wasn't another apology. Pressing their lips together, they shared a sweet kiss before parting. "Let's go to bed, my lord. It's been a long day." Ander nodded and got up to take a shower. Malavai smiled at his lord but left him to take a refreshing shower.

_ Tenebrae? Are you okay? _ Ander heard no answer at that moment but he wasn't going to let it go until he knew his friend was okay. Taking off his clothes and throwing them into the laundry hamper, he stepped into the shower and dove into his mind as hot water poured over him. His mind looked different from the last time he was there. It kind of looked like a mesh between the Dromund Kass apartment and his father's house. Two homes of which he loved with all his heart. It made sense, in a way. Tenebrae usually wasn't far from the center but as Ander moved around the house, he couldn't find any trace of him. "Up here." Ander looked up to see a rather large hole in the ceiling. Bits and pieces of Zakuul's and Odessan's skyline melded together in the background while Korriban's orange sky stretched across the ethereal plane. Ander jumped up, grabbing the ceiling and vaulting himself up to sit next to the Pureblood. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yep." Tenebrae didn't look at him, instead continuing to stare at his own hands. "No, you're not." Tenebrae sighed. "If you weren't going to accept my answer, why did you ask?" Ander frowned. "Because I care about you, you're my friend." Tenebrae scoffed, coming to his feet, he suddenly teleported to the other side of the hole. Ander reached for him. "Tenebrae, please don't leave…" The Pureblood looked back at him and reluctantly turned to wait for him. Ander jumped across the gap, coming to stand beside his friend. "What's wrong?" Tenebrae clenched his jaw. "I don't understand how he could call you weak." Ander sighed, he figured as much but wanted to hear it from him. "Maybe he's never seen me go berserk." The Pureblood scoffed, scowling. "But he has, though. I remember seeing him in my vision of you, when you killed that kid in the Academy. He was right there."

"Then…" Ander wrapped an arm around Tenebrae's shoulders. "Maybe he repressed it." Tenebrae mulled it over before nodding. "Maybe... I guess I was a little harsh." Ander smiled, laughing softly. "A little but it's fine. I'll talk to him."

"Okay... I'm sorry, Ander. He just made me so angry." Ander shook his head. "It's cool, Tenebrae. Uncle has that effect on people." Tenebrae nodded and Ander finally returned to reality.

It hadn't been too long, least not long enough for Malavai to grow concerned, still, Ander quickly finished up and got into a towel. Leaving the bathroom, he was met by Malavai, who was holding his folded up pajamas. "Oh, my lord. I was just going to set these down on the counter for you." Ander chuckled, taking the clothes from him. "Thanks, babe, but you don't have to get my clothes for me. I can get them myself." Malavai rolled his eyes. "You never wear a matching pair when you pick it out. I'm doing this for my sanity, _ babe _."

"Guessing you don't like the pet name."

"It's certainly not the best." Malavai hummed, moving past Ander to enter the bathroom. "Okay," Ander said, following him. "Well, you could choose a pet name for me." Malavai pulled off his shirt before looking at his lord, who wore his best puppy eyes. He smiled, tossing the shirt into the laundry basket. "If you really want one, dear." Ander snickered and turned towards the door, stifling his laughter. "No, never mind." He laughed finally, leaving the room.

Ander wandered into his room, noticing Grophl all wrapped up in the blankets and ready for bed. He smiled, petting the pup before leaving the bedroom. He still had a few minutes before bed and was hoping to sneak a candy bar before Malavai left the shower. Only, when he went into the kitchen, he saw Harkun sitting at the dining table, drinking a beer. _ He must have bought those, himself. _Ander thought to himself. "Uncle?" Harkun jumped, turning to the door suddenly. "It's okay," Ander said, signaling him to calm down. "I don't mind if you buy yourself some beer." Harkun groaned. "You mind if I keep it in your fridge?" Ander tilted his head. "No? Of course not. You okay?" Harkun stared holes into the bottle in front of him. "I think I should find a new place soon."

"What? Why?" Ander looked hurt by his Uncle's sudden confession. "I'm freeloading, Ander. I'm not contributing to anything and I'm certainly not helping you."

"Uncle, is this about what happened earlier? I'm fine and Tenebrae's fine. Sure he was a little annoyed but he's okay now. And…" Ander placed a hand on Harkun's shoulder. "I wasn't offended by what you said earlier. I know you care about me and I know you want to protect me, but I'm okay now. Tenebrae's here to help, too." Harkun huffed and downed the rest of his drink. "Fine, okay. Stop getting all sappy on me and go to bed." He threw the bottle into the trash bin, which already had a few fresh bottles inside, and slowly left the room. Ander smiled, watching him clumsily tred up the stairway before returning to his own room.

Malavai was just leaving the bathroom, fully dressed and ready for bed. Ander smiled, walking up to him and sharing a quick kiss. Malavai smiled, the light blush on his cheeks growing. Excited yelps and snorts drew them out of their fantasy as they looked at the grophet responsible. Ander laughed, jumping on the bed and grabbing the pup. Grophl whined, yelling for Malavai's help. The officer rolled his eyes but made his way over to the bed. "Release him, my lord." Ander pouted and let the pup go, who proceeded to turn around and smother him with kisses. "Malavai, why?!"

"Alright, that's enough," Malavai said, pulling Grophl into his arms as he tucked himself into bed. "Time for bed, my lord." Ander snuggled close to the pair, resting his head on his pillow. "Goodnight Malavai."

"Goodnight, my lord." As they closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, a small ping was made on Ander's holopad. A message he wouldn't see till morning, asking him to make his way to Corellia for all-out war against the Republic.


	7. Reporting for Duty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but I am still thinking and writing for this wonderful world. I love these characters and I want to write more. Expect some short stories about the side characters and such. One and Eleven will be the first story.

"Shit…" Ander said quietly as he turned on his holopad. The ominous appearance of Acina's name on his screen sent an awful feeling to his gut. Malavai stirred next to him and slowly sat up. "What is it, my lord?" His hearing was impeccable as always. Ander sighed, taking a moment to view the message before answering him.

_ Wrath, you are to report to Corellia as soon as possible. The Republic has started their advance on our ground troops in a desperately aggressive response to our reconnaissance on Onderon. Prepare yourself accordingly and meet us at the coordinates I have sent to your ship. We will not proceed until you join us. Make haste. -Acina _

Ander groaned and got up from the bed. "Acina wants us on Corellia. She says to get there as soon as possible but to be prepared." He paused, stepping into the bathroom. "Let's take a shower and then head to Vaiken Spacedock for supplies." Malavai wasn't expecting to be called upon so soon, which upset him greatly. He sighed, unhappy with the news and incidentally awoke the grophet next to him. He pet the pup, allowing him to wake happily. Grophl snorted his appreciation before looking to his father. Malavai sighed but smiled, picking the pup up and making his way to the kitchen. There, Harkun was already awake and emptying the full trash can. The Overseer looked surprised to see the officer without his usual garb on but said nothing as he was handed the grophet. "Acina has called us to Corellia. We must leave immediately. Please look after him." Harkun nodded, tightening his hold on the pup as Malavai returned to his room to get ready. Grophl, on the other hand, was not happy and didn't appreciate being restrained. He whined and whimpered but Harkun didn't let him go. "Hey…" Grophl looked up at his captor. "He doesn't like leaving you either but your crying is only going to make it harder for them. So, just this once, go easy on them." Grophl sniffed, understanding his words and fell silent.

Ander got out of the bathroom, allowing Malavai to take his turn with the shower, and quickly put on his undergarments before putting on two full-body suits of thermal regulation carbon fibre. It's elasticity made it easy to wear multiple of and the strength of it ensured that should he be hit by blaster fire, he would not be burned. This was only his second time wearing it but he was already quite familiar and fond of the stuff. He then ran and got into his power armour and grabbed his lightsabers off the rack. A moment later, Malavai walked out of the bedroom, in his military garb with his blaster holstered on his hip. The receiver he received from One and Eleven was stored away safely in a pouch which hung onto his belt. He was hoping he didn't have to use it but something felt off about this surprise summon. Still, he approached the elevator and stood next to his lord. Ander noticed the uneasy feeling Malavai was having and tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. "We will be alright. We're together and there hasn't been a better team than us." Malavai smiled somewhat and nodded. Ander reflected his expression and turned back to Harkun, who had come out to send them off. Grophl was still in his arms and still respectfully quiet. Harkun bowed before them. "Don't worry about us, just take care of yourselves and come home safely." Ander and Malavai nodded, saying their goodbyes before leaving the apartment.

**\-------------------------**

"Okay," Ander started, making his way off the Fury's loading ramp. Turning to Malavai, he continued. "What do we desperately need?" Malavai opened up the ship's inventory on his holopad. "Well, the ship could use a few upgrades but other than that…" The officer trailed off as he checked his own gear. "There are a few things I should get if we are expected to travel through an active warzone."

"Alright then. Whatever you need, get it under my name. They should give you a discount. I'm going to see if I can get ahold of those upgrades."

"Of course, my lord. Here's the list of what is needed." Malavai handed off his holopad and Ander began reading the list. He gave the officer a thumbs up before wandering off to the nearest technician. Malavai quickly made his way down to the trade market, hoping not to waste any more time.

Malavai perused the weapon stall, not for a new blaster - his old one still worked fine, but for a new cartridge to insert into it. He had heard a few guards singing the praises of a new cartridge that helped reduce the recoil and cooldown time on older blasters. His own was now pushing on nine years which, normally, wouldn't be a problem  _ if _ one was just a casual user. He, however, was using his every day. Between going on missions with his lord and training at home, his blaster was starting to feel the wear and tear of its hard life. Like many others, Malavai was not about to get a replacement, making this new cartridge an invaluable upgrade. Luckily, the salesman wasn't out of stock and Malavai gladly paid for it, before quickly installing it. The salesman graciously let him try it out on a target dummy. Malavai gladly accepted and lined up in front of the dummy. He raised his blaster, aimed at the target, and fired one shot, then two and soon twenty shots. The blaster became hot, as per usual after so many rounds but quickly cooled after a brief pause. Malavai was absolutely pleased with the results and thanked the salesman before leaving. He then replenished his medical supplies, bought a new injector and a protective vest to wear underneath his jacket, before heading back to the ship.

As Malavai walked into the hangar, he was pleasantly impressed to see that his lord had actually gotten the exact upgrades he had requested. It was nice, for once, not to have to worry about things getting done. Malavai happily made his way up to the Fury, catching a glimpse of a crew of technicians, off to the side, catching their breath as they slumped between a few crates. Inside the ship, Malavai didn't find his lord waiting for him at the door, leaving him to call out for him. Ander excitedly popped his head out of the storage room. "In here!"

"Where is  _ here _ ?" Malavai sighed, clueless as to where his lord was as his own voice echoed off the ship's metal walls. Ander finally came into the foyer, only to guide the officer back into the previous room and present… the sink faucet. Malavai glanced between Ander and the sink, with each pass, becoming more confused. "I… don't follow." Ander let out a low groan, rolling his eyes as he did. "I had it replaced. I thought it looked good… and I did it myself while the technicians took care of the ship." Malavai then realized why he wanted  _ him _ to see it. "Oh, well you did a wonderful job, my lord. You're right, it does look nice." Ander's eyes beamed and Malavai couldn't be happier to lift his lord's spirits and self-esteem.

Ander was extremely pleased with his handiwork and was even happier to hear his husband's praise. He looked with bright eyes at the officer, only to see a slightly bigger gun attached to his belt. "Oh, did you get a new gun?" Ander tilted his head, getting a better look at the weapon before Malavai placed his hand over it, grabbing it from its holster. The officer shook his head, showing the blaster to his lord. "No, my lord, I simply got a new cooling cartridge for it."

"Oh." Ander paused, inspecting the new attachment. "You know I wouldn't mind if you decided to replace this one, right?" Malavai looked offended by his question and shook his head. "I could never do that. This gun is much more than a weapon by this point." Ander nodded, respecting his decision to keep the worn blaster. "Okay, well," Ander paused, pulling something out of his belt. "Since you got an upgrade, I hope you won't be mad that I did too."

"My lord, I'd never be mad. I know you are good with your money-" Malavai went silent, squinting his eyes at the thin square sheet of Plexi-metal Ander held in his hand. "What is that?" Malavai asked. Ander smiled, holding the thin sheet in between his thumb and pointer finger. "The new model of personal holoterminal."

"That's the  _ new _ one?" Ander nodded. "Someone bought out the company that manufactured them and scrapped the old design." Ander took out a second personal holoterminal and handed it to Malavai. "I got you one, since, I'm sure, your's is just as old, if not more, than mine. Also, Tenebrae really liked the speakers on this one. He said they were super clear and easy to use." Malavai nodded, watching Ander's holoterminal light up and the ever familiar voice of Tenebrae come through.  _ Now I can speak in complete sentences. See? _ Malavai nodded, smiling up at his lord. “This is a wonderful advancement, my lord. Thank you.” He took the holoterminal from Ander and replaced his old one with it. “Now that we are settled, we should probably be on our way-”

The ship’s holoterminal began to ring, interrupting Malavai. Ander rolled his eyes and quickly made his way into the main room, answering the call. Malavai followed him but stood on the sidelines, out of sight. The ship’s holoterminal needed a second to scan Ander’s full body and send it to the caller while it received and presented the appropriate file on it’s holoscreen. The whole thing definitely needed to be replaced but that would have to be saved for another time.

Acina’s visage finally appeared, her form glitching in and out. “Wrath.” She said elegantly as always. “Empress.” Ander bowed before her. “We are eagerly awaiting your arrival. What is your ETA?” She asked as Darth Malgus casually came into view behind her. Acina didn’t seem bothered by his lack of respect and personal space. Ander however, got a sinking feeling from the sight of the old warrior. It made his skin crawl. He didn’t trust Malgus, not for a second, but the way he seemed to look down on him made Ander feel like Malgus was up to something. Still, he didn’t let the thought linger and replied to his Empress. “We should be at Coronet Space Port in about an hour.” Acina nodded, pleased by his response. “Good, we will send an envoy to pick you up.” Ander nodded, once more, bowing before her as the transmission ended. Malavai figured it was the best time to start up the ship and left for the bridge. Ander followed him, taking his seat at the helm. As he settled in, Ander received a text message on his holopad. It was from his sisters. “My sisters will be picking us up.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting. Then they are going to have a hand in the battle as well?” Malavai asked, yet not completely removing his focus from the ship’s controls. Ander sighed softly. “I guess if Pyron or his men have anything to do with it, they will too.” Malavai thought it a bit strange, as they obviously weren’t like Ander. His sisters were Dark Side. Malavai had searched them up once before and found their headcount to reach in the tens of thousands. Yet, they treated him with respect and compassion, though he fully believed his lord had something to do with that. “Do they care about the men in their charge, like you do, my lord?” Ander scrunched his nose as he thought on the question. “No… I wouldn’t say that.” Malavai figured as much but let his lord continue. “But… Well, they might be Dark Side but that’s  _ their  _ choice. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but my dad was Grey Side. He let us decide how we wanted to use the Force. I mean, yes, he taught us the Sith Code but he didn’t explain it to us like the Overseers did in the Academy. He let us figure it out for ourselves.” Malavai was absolutely intrigued every time Ander would talk about his father which, sad to say, wasn’t often and turned back to look at him. “Though, the one thing he did tell us was:  _ If you disrespect those in your charge, you have no right to be upset when they betray you. _ ” Ander said it as though he was acting in a play, he even made his voice deeper to imitate his father’s. Yet, Malavai could see it wasn’t out of disrespect. It was quite the opposite, in fact. “Well, I mean…” Ander paused, scratching the back of his head. “My dad said a lot of things. Friendship is better than ownership, take care of each other…” Ander riddled off while counting his fingers. Malavai chuckled at the action, causing Ander to lose his train of thought. He looked to the officer, puzzled. “That’s wonderful, my lord. You obviously took his words to heart and it shows in the way you treat people.” Ander blushed and nodded slightly. “Yeah.” Malavai smiled and turned back to the ship’s controls and started up the jump to lightspeed.

**\-------------------------**

Ander and Malavai arrived safely at Coronet Space Port and were swiftly greeted by Aria and Alessin. The twins looked excited to see their older brother, which wasn’t too out of the ordinary for them but Ander was wary. They led them out to the parking lot where an armoured truck lay waiting for them. Ander was surprised to see the massive vehicle but soon realized why it was needed when a pair of droids loaded his dresser, from his ship, onto the back of it. He looked curiously at his sisters.

“Oh,” Aria started. “This may take more than a couple days to complete and Acina wanted to make sure you had clean underpants to wear.” Ander was slightly disappointed in her explanation and rubbed his face with his hands. “Ugh, you know I wear clothes under my armour, right?” Aria was slightly shocked and laughed nervously as her face began to blush. “O-Oh. I guess I never figured you… erm-” Aria cut herself off and went silent. Alessin was holding her laughter in as she pulled out the truck keys and made her way over to the vehicle’s driver side door. “Wait a minute,” Ander called out to her, causing her to stop dead in her tracks and swiftly turn to face him. “You are  **not ** driving.” He commanded, reaching out his hand and signalling her to hand over the keys. Alessin clutched tightly onto the keys and held them close to her chest. “What? I have my license! I’m perfectly fit to drive!” Ander narrowed his eyes at her and Alessin quickly gave in. “Fine…” Alessin growled, stomping over to hand him the keys before retreating to sit in the back seat. Ander handed the keys to Malavai and turned to his other sister. “Aria, you get in on the passenger’s side and tell him where to go. I’ll keep Alessin under control.” Ander said, before joining his sister in the back seat. Malavai and Aria were rather quiet as they piled into the front seat. “So,” Ander started. “Explain to me why we are taking a truck and not a shuttle?” Aria sighed. “The Republic has been extremely aggressive ever since Ossus and just recently they’ve been using anti-air missiles to take out any and all shuttles. We couldn’t even evacuate civilians…” Ander was stunned but remained silent. “This was the only way we could get you there safely.” Alessin added. Ander sighed softly and nodded. “Alright, well, what about Malgus?” The twins didn’t seem surprised by his question, leading Ander to believe they had a similar outlook. “He’s plotting something,” Alessin said calmly. “Though, Acina knows that much already but he hasn’t done anything wrong yet. He’s even been turning the tide of battle in our favour…”

“So, no proof, no conviction, right?” Ander asked. Alessin nodded, continuing her previous thought. “However, Acina has let it be known that if Malgus crosses the line, to let her know immediately.” Ander nodded and looked ahead, out the window.

They arrived at the base within thirty minutes and it looked to be quickly set up with tents and trailers. It was in the remnants of a large parking complex. Ten stories of reinforced concrete, different departments on each of the levels with shield generators to protect against missiles. From the outside, Ander could sense several Dark Honor guards spread throughout the entire complex, likely to protect the site and keep the peace. They were rarely used for battle, much to Tenebrae’s disappointment, as it was he who originally founded their order and integrated them within the Sith Empire. All that special training and strict selection only to be used as a glorified security squad.

Ander got out of the truck and waited for Malavai and his sisters. He got a strange feeling on the back of his neck but ignored it as Malavai joined his side. Aria and Alessin led them into the base and straight to the command centre. As they approached the tent, Ander remembered that strange feeling again. Two Dark Honor guards waited next to the tent's entrance. That didn’t really bother him but looking past the entrance, Ander saw Malgus staring back at him. It made him  _ anxious _ . Ander made his way past the guards without issue but Malavai was prevented from entering. Ander immediately spun around, making his way back over to the officer. “Hey, he’s with me.” The guards didn’t budge and Ander turned to Acina, seeking her assistance, yet Malgus spoke first. “A mere soldier shouldn’t be involved in  _ Dark Council _ matters.” Ander clenched his jaw and was about to tell the old Sith off when Malavai spoke up. “It’s alright, my lord. I’ll wait for you out here.” Ander turned to him, worried. “You sure?” Malavai nodded, smiling up at him. Ander didn’t want to leave his companion behind but didn’t have much choice as Malgus walked up behind him, grabbed his shoulder and aggressively ushered him back into the tent. The guards unfolded the flaps of the tent, shielding the inside from Malavai’s view.

  
  


He should have known better, Malavai thought as he stood against a nearby column. His lord had explicitly expressed his value as a soldier and person. He was equal to him, on par with the Empire’s Wrath. Yet, he knew, in the depths of his mind, that it simply wasn’t true when others were considered. The guards, Malgus, and the other soldiers that gave him side eyes reminded him just how much he was  _ really _ worth. As he waited, Malavai received a text message on his holopad. He quickly checked it, only to find a simple message from One:  _ “Are you well?” _ Malavai was surprised to see such a message from such a person but replied regardless.  _ “Fine, and you?” _

_ “Just fine?” _ Malavai wasn’t expecting such a quick response but was grateful for the distraction.  _ “My lord and I have been called to Corellia.” _

_ “I know. Eleven has been keeping tabs.” _

_ “Has she now? What else do you know?” _ Malavai couldn’t help being snarky with the Pureblood. He knew it would take One a bit longer to reply. Another message pinged his device. So, not as long as he expected.  _ “I did not mean to come off as such.” _

_ “I know, One. I was simply teasing you.” _

_ “You do that far too often.”  _ One’s message caught him off guard and Malavai had to stifle a small laugh.  _ “Forgive me, One. I’m getting too comfortable around you.” _

_ “That’s good.” _ Straight forward as always, he thought.  _ “Why did you ask, if you don’t mind?” _

_ “I had a vision that disturbed me. Be careful around Malgus.”  _ Malavai’s smile faded as he reread One’s last message.  _ “I will.” _ Malavai quickly put away his holopad, he didn’t want anyone to read his conversation and, in turn, notify Malgus. He silently returned to waiting for his lord’s return…

It was longer than he anticipated, before Ander finally returned to his side. The Sith was more than happy to see the officer waiting for him as he excitedly walked up to him. “My lord,” Malavai smiled at him. “Malavai!” Ander smiled back, his heart sighing to see him unharmed. Just before he joined hands with his husband, Ander was shoved forward, his balance thrown off, causing him to crash into Malavai. Tenebrae had to grab him and pull him back to keep him from crushing the officer. Luckily, neither were harmed but Ander and the spectre were more than a little pissed at the individual responsible. Ander looked back, knowing exactly who it was but the feeling of anxious anticipation returned to him as he laid eyes on the silhouette of Darth Malgus. Then, a worrying thought crossed his mind that  _ frightened _ him.  _ Perhaps, he’s not trying to get rid of Acina… Perhaps, he’s trying to get rid of me… _ Tenebrae wrapped his arms around Ander’s neck, resting his ghostly head on his friend’s shoulder.  _ Perhaps, it’s entirely possible.  _ Tenebrae whispered, paying no mind to the privacy he was invading by using his mind-reading.  _ He was strangely aggressive towards you during the meeting and he knew I was watching. He stared at me while shooting down your suggestions.  _ Ander mulled over what Tenebrae said, all the while, Malavai grew more and more uneasy. “My lord?” Ander finally looked down at his companion’s worried expression. “Are you alright?”

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Malavai shook his head. “No, my lord.”

“Good.” Ander smiled. “Where is our tent? Acina mentioned that we had private tents and…” Ander noticed the surprised expression on Malavai’s face which quickly turned sour. “I… won’t be joining you, my lord. I am to sleep with the rest of the troops in the shared bunk tent.” Ander groaned and rolled his eyes. “Who said that?” Malavai’s frown only deepened. “No one told me, my lord. It’s expected of us troops to stay within our department.” Ander made a low growl, which reverberated within his throat. “I don’t care what you are  _ expected _ to do. You will be staying with me.” He sounded angry but Malavai couldn’t help but feel a certain safety in his lord’s words. He pulled out his holopad and looked at the map again, noting the location of the Empire’s Wrath’s tent. “Second floor-”

“Good, I’ll find it from there.” Ander picked Malavai up, cradling him in his arms as he used the Force to propel him forward as he jumped from pillar to pillar, making his way up. The soldiers, scientists, and Siths below them gave them a passing glance but paid them no further mind. Every Sith knew not to question the Wrath when it pertained to that one  _ particular  _ soldier. Don’t pick a fight not worth fighting. It infuriated so many lesser Siths but they weren’t going to risk everything for something so minor. Seeing it from so high up, mattered so much to Malavai. His hands reached up, holding onto his lord as if his life depended on it… But truly, it did. His life was only safe in his lord’s hands. Without him, he’d be in danger and knowing that he didn’t feel afraid as long as he stood in his lord’s presence.


End file.
